Segue
by Francis Eugene
Summary: Cordy returns to Sunnydale in Season 5 and has a drastic impact on just about everything. Chapter 6 has been added.
1. Steadfast Friends

**Title**: Segue 

**Summary**: Season five unfolds differently for Xander. 

**Spoilers**: BtVS:The Replacement, AtS:Redefinition 

**Disclaimer**: Characters and setting belong to Joss Whedon, ME, and/or 20th Century Fox. 

**AN**: I had to jiggle the BtVS and AtS timelines a little in order to make this story work. It shouldn't be too off-putting, I hope.

* * *

**Part 1, Steadfast Friends**

The chill night air slapped him in the face the moment he stepped out of Willy's. It would perhaps be more accurate to say he fell out, narrowly missing the ground by a hair's breadth. But miss it he did, feeling very proud of himself. 

With arms out for balance, he slowly, gradually, carefully, straightened himself to his full height. He stayed that way for a moment, just to make sure he really could stay that way. Then he looked to the left, squinted a bit, and then to the right. 

_Where the hell did I park?_

This was so not a good part of town to be alone at night--not that any part of Sunnydale was--but Willy's had the distinct advantage of not checking IDs too carefully. Or at all, in fact. And the usual crowd recognized him as a close friend of the slayer, thereby rendering him 'untouchable' if they knew what was best. They did. 

Not seeing his car on first, second and even third tries, on a whim he started toward the left, taking a few fumbling steps. 

He still didn't understand why she did it. Neither had a half-dozen long-necks improved his understanding. Things were going so well for them, he'd thought. He had developed a true affection for her, even daring to think he might be in love, only needing the right moment to tell her. So what went wrong? He just didn't get it. 

Hadn't she been the one to complain one time that there should be more to their relationship than just sex? And then she went and bitched the other day when, on the night before, they didn't have sex! He had felt absurdly good about it at first, because all he wanted to do that night was cuddle with her, arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close. He wanted to protect her from any evil marauding bunnies that might attack in the night. He just wanted to love her. 

_Didn't she understand that?_

The demons, vamps and other assorted ne'er-do-wells scattered around the dirty smelly bar had giggled (or did their demon equivalent) at him, playfully pointing at the morose Zeppo who imbibed bottle after bottle. 

_Damn demons!_ he raged. _Damn ex-demons, too! And damn the demony horses they rode in on!_

At least Willy had the good grace to desist from any understanding bartender talk. 

_That's right! Damn ex-demons!_ he raved some more into the uncaring dark. 

He looked up again for his car, hoping this new spot, about three yards from the previous, would give him a better perspective. 

_What color had John called it? Champagne, that's it._

To him it just looked like light brown. It was only a non-descript four-door sedan, used, but John had taken good care of it and was willing to sell it to him for a song. 

Now he had real wheels...which he couldn't find, dammit! All the cars looked the same under the ugly orange street-lighting. Or was it the alcoholic haze that caused that lighting trick? 

The crashing sound from the alley just ahead startled him out of his angry befuddlement. Years of experience kicked in when he next heard the familiar deep growling of a vampire in feeding mode. Adrenaline began to pour through his system and in moments, though still far from sober, was much better able to walk--until he tripped over a low object near the corner of the alley. 

_What the hell?_

Looking back, he saw a toppled suitcase had had the rude audacity to jump in his way and ruin his stealthy attack. But more noises from the alley made him quickly forget the offensive valise. 

What he saw--no surprise--was a vampire struggling with its victim, trying to bite down on the exposed neck. The vamp-chow's face was obscured by the attacker but he could tell it was a dark-haired woman. He could also see that the victim was doing a more than respectable job of defending herself. Nevertheless, the attacker's strength and speed would eventually win out, he could grasp that much as well. 

_Time for another episode of White Knight to the Rescue!_ he chuckled quietly under his breath. Xander pulled a stake out of his jacket and restarted the stealthy approach, tip-toeing in an extremely exaggerated fashion toward the couple. Only then did it finally dawn on him that he really was in no shape to be taking on a vampire. Too many beers for the adrenaline to overcome sufficiently. Heck, he was barely capable when stone cold sober, and now drunk as he was, he was about to try something supremely stupid. 

He was committed. _Oh well,_ he thought, shrugging it off, _just one more item on a very long list._

Maybe he could try the Breath of Death tactic? He'd seen it work in 'Blazing Saddles', why not now? The idea made him giggle again, but only just a little as he tried mightily to maintain some semblance of stealth. 

To an ill-informed observer his odds were on the order of a hundred to one, going against, but the mystical energy from the Hellmouth has all kinds of side effects, not all of them bad. Even a drunk Zeppo can get lucky at times. 

This time the vampire was a freshly-minted newbie, still dirty behind the ears, too fixated on its victim, too sure of its own strength and immortality, and not paying nearly enough attention to the noises behind him. Whatever it is, the vamp figured, he could easily handle it after finishing off this feisty morsel. Too late the quiet whooshing sound attracted his undivided attention, just before the sound ended abruptly with incredible pain in his back. A pain already dissipating in the slight breeze. 

Ridiculously overjoyed at the kill, Xander had forgotten about not following through too strongly when staking a vamp. He wasn't prepared for the sudden loss of resistance and, overbalanced, stumbled awkwardly as the vampire dusted. His momentum carried him forward and down, and hard, into the ground. 

Fortunately he re-discovered one of the wonderful consequences of being both drunk and pumped on adrenaline: you really can't feel much pain. 

_Hmmm, it's not so bad down here,_ he mused. _Maybe a quick nap to recharge before Going In Search of Car._

He looked back toward the alley entrance, on the off chance a pillow might have followed him to provide backup. That's when he noticed the victim for the second time. Specifically, he noticed the lower part of her legs. Very nice feet, very nice legs. And he should know. For a geek loser he knew quite a lot of good-looking girls. 

_That'll show you, Blayne!_

His leering eyes sketched a wobbly line up the smooth curve of calf, up to the thigh, past the hemline of a dark skirt not nearly short enough to get a good peek under, even from his low vantage. _Spoil-sport._ Nicely rounded hip, slim waist...hmmm, swelling chest. His gaze lingered there for awhile. Quite an interesting point of view. And quite a full chest. He'd known of only one other person who had a figure like this girl. 

Eventually his gaze made it all the way to the intended victim's face. 

"Oh, crap!" he moaned, closing his eyes shut to shield himself from this new nightmare vision. 

"Yeah, Harris, there does seem to be a lot of that lying around." that other person disdainfully sniffed. 

He didn't usually mind getting into verbal fisticuffs with Cordelia--okay, he never minded--but he definitely needed to do so from a better position than on the ground at her feet. His sublime and skewering insults just wouldn't have the same oomph if launched from down low. 

After two initial failed attempts to stand, with no help from her of course, he managed to achieve a precarious stance. He found her suddenly gone, and gaped in confusion until he heard a light tapping echo from behind. He looked over his shoulder to see her standing impatiently, arms crossed, tapping her toe as she waited. She returned his glare, though much more effectively since she retained the ability to focus. 

He turned to face her fully, ready to deliver the clever and blistering verbal fusillade he'd prepared on the way up. 

_This'll show her to mess around with Alexander Lavelle Harris!_

His mouth was already open when he realized he had forgotten it all. 

"You had something to say? Or are you trying to catch flies?" 

He did! He was sure he did. He was even reasonably certain it would have been clever, amusing, and scathing, all at once. A deadly stiletto of an insult. The mother of all put-downs. A real "11" on the snark-o-meter. 

"G'way," he said sullenly, whereupon he turned and staggered back toward the street. 

He rolled his eyes when he heard the sharp clicking of her heels rebounding off the alley walls. "Jeez, rains it pours" he muttered to the sky. _Too bad it isn't raining, then maybe she would go away. If only to protect her perfect hair._

He rounded on her when he sensed she had approached closely enough. "Now what?" he demanded loudly as he spun about. 

That was a big mistake, as he very nearly fell over again. The last long-neck was beginning to reassert itself now that the adrenaline had started to work its way out his system. He fortunately didn't fall this time, for which he was extremely grateful, catching himself with an outstretched arm on the nearby wall. _Good wall, he thought, you're a nice wall. Solid, steady, steadfast. The way a friend should be. I think I'll call you Charlie_, affectionately patting the wall. 

She swallowed the tart comment already on her lips, concerned at this very unusual, unexpected behavior of his. She had never seen him like this before, so unwilling to take a shot at her, and then just walking off like that. _What's wrong with him?_ she worried. 

"Are you--You're drunk!" It was obvious, of course, but it just surprised her so much to see him like this way, barely recognizable as the Xander she used to know. 

He turned from his new-found friend to glare at the three of her, "Wow, Cordy, you're really amazing! Can you also tell I'm not as drunk as I'd like to be? Or is that beyond your uncanny powers of observation?" 

Upset, she pressed her lips together, not sure what to do. Not much more than a year ago, she would have gleefully cut him to bloody ribbons where he stood. Now was different. Now was another year removed from the hurt. That stupid cliche about time and healing wounds seemed to be true. She also knew she was different person, a more caring person, in some measure due to the very person in front of her. 

"Whadda you doin' here anyway? Need me to getcha' donut?" 

The trip up from LA had been boring and she'd spent much of the time pondering various scenarios of her reception and how she would respond in each. This was going far worse than anything she'd imagined. The bus had broken down in Santa Barbara, forcing a delay of several hours and causing her arrival in the dangerous hours of the night. She couldn't call anyone because her cell phone account was past due and had been deactivated, and the phones at the bus station had all been vandalized. 

She had dithered at the station, not wanting to go out into the night, but also aware it really wasn't any safer inside the public building. Nor did she like the way the two winos, one fat and bald, the other skinny and bald, were looking at her. Crossing her fingers she decided to make a dash for the Espresso Pump, which was on the good, safe side of town, only a few short blocks away. 

_Maybe I should have crossed my toes as well? And why wasn't the Slayer doing a better job of keeping the place clean, huh?_

Just her luck she ran into the one vampire the slayer hadn't yet gotten around to exterminating. She really hated this town! And if things were any different she would never have come back. 

In the end, despite the cool and confident front she'd initially put on view for Xander, she knew she was on shaky and uncertain ground. 

"I, uh, that is, umm..." she sputtered a little, not prepared to deal with this. "I'm here to visit. Uh, my parents." 

He rolled his eyes over to the wall and smirked. _Hey Charlie, we know better, don't we?_

Eyes rolled back to her. "Ha! Nice try, Cordy. Your dad's still servin' an' Mom's been MIA for months." 

"I'm visiting friends." 

"Harmony?" he said with a sly smile. 

"Yeah. Like it's any of your business," she snapped. 

"A shwing and a miss. Stee-rike two!" he announced gleefully, cocking his arm out out to the side, with two fingers extended. Then he leaned in close to her. "She's a vampire! Ya' got one more try." 

"Whatever. Jerk!" Her ire was up in the face of his antagonizing attitude. She might be a nicer Cordy, but he sure made it all too easy to revert back to the old Queen C. 

He made a dismissive noise and gesture and did his level best to forget about the girl before him. Slowly this time, he turned back to the street and fumbled through his jacket pockets, digging for his keys. _Ah ha! There's the little devil's_, he giggled to himself, jingling them in his pocket. _See ya' later Charlie! Thanks fer bein' there_. 

Her eyes widened in sudden concern as she realized what he was intending to do. "Xander! Stop!" 

"Still here?" Damn. A bad day that just kept getting worse and worse. The last thing he needed was his ex- to, to, to...to whatever ex-s did. 

"Give me those!" she demanded. He may be acting like a real putz, no shock there, but she wasn't going to let him drive in his current condition. 

"Why? You wanna scratch my car?" He leaned back into the wall. _Ah, good Charlie. Always there when I need you. Unlike some people, like Anya, who will not be mentioned. Anya, Anya, Anya. Not gonna mention her ever!_

"Hey, bitter much?" she retorted, then continued more calmly, trying to be reasonable, "Xander, you can't drive. Not like this." 

"Sure I can, jus' wastch me!" He peered around. "Soon's I find car. Oh!" There it is! It was right in front of him, practically the whole time. He gave the wall a reproving look. _Charlie, why didn't you tell me? Oh yeah, no eyes. S'okay, I forgive you. See ya' later._

He gave Charlie one final pat and angled toward the vehicle, parked on the far side of the street. She scrambled to retrieve her fallen suitcase and hurried to catch up with him. Her efforts earned her one short glare as she fell into step alongside him. She rolled her eyes and kept pace. Just as he was aiming the keys at the door-lock she snatched them out of his hand. 

"Hey! Gimme those!" 

"No." She held the keys up and away from his outstretched grasping hand. 

_Time to pull myself together, Xan-man. Get serious. She has every right to be disgusted with me. Hate me. The dress meant nothing. Everything meant nothing. Oooh, very philosophic, very Zen. I'll write a song! Find Oz and get him to record it!_

He fell back against the car, moving slowly, and sighed deeply. His hand went to his face, covering his eyes as he spoke slowly, carefully annouciating each word. 

"Cordelia. I'm tired. I do not want to fight with you. Not now, anyway. I jus wanna go home. Please," he begged. "Whatever shit you want to dump on me can wait till tomorrow. You can cut me all you want and stomp all over the pieces and have a good laugh. I'll be more than happy to oblige." 

"But right now... Give. Me. THOSE. GOD. DAMN. KEYS!" On the final roaring word he swooped to snatch them from her. She dodged easily, nearly causing him to fell over again. 

"I'll drive you back. There's no way you're getting behind a wheel." 

He sagged against the car, head back, eyes closed again, trying to fight the dizziness. Even he knew when it was time to give up. 

"Who knew you could care so much, huh?" 

"It's not you I'm caring about. The people around here have enough to worry about with the demons and vampires. They don't need you adding to their problems." 

"And again, who knew you could care so much?" Maybe if he wished hard enough she'd go away in a poof of smoke? He waited five seconds then opened one eye and peered over. 

_Damn! The wish demon shows up for her, but not for me!_

The simmering annoyance with him was verging on outright anger. Yet despite the anger caused by and directed toward him, a part of her was hurt that he was still so bitter over everything in their past. Okay, she hadn't exactly forgiven him, not in so few words as such. But after the prom they'd been able to reestablish a somewhat friendly relationship with each other. 

_So what's his problem? Well, first off, he's a drunk moron._

But she stuffed her anger back in place and waited him out. 

"Fine. You win." 

Going around the car he waited for her to get in and unlock the door. Falling into the seat, he closed his eyes and settled back. He heard her throw something into the backseat but didn't bother to look. The engine started and the car began to move, pulling away from the curb, then taking rights and lefts. 

_How does she know where I live?_ he wondered. 

Xander fell asleep before he could pursue any further down that line of thought. 

"We're here." 

He opened his eyes slowly and looked around, seeing his parent's house outside the passenger window. "No," groaning, "I don't live here." _ Better and better every moment_, he groused. 

"What? This is your house, right?" 

"Used to be." 

"Then why didn't you say something before?" 

"Didn't ask." 

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to know?" she snapped. 

"You figured out I'm drunk. You couldn't figure this one out, too?" he answered wearily. 

She drew a deep breath and started counting backwards from ten in pig Latin. This was something she'd had good practice with when she was dating him before. She'd had even more practice after dealing with some of Angel's and Wes's idiosyncrasies. 

"Alright, Xander, Just where do you live?" she ground out, struggling unsuccessfully to keep the edge out of her voice. 

He had to think a moment, he'd only had the place a few nights, and mostly knew its location by landmarks. 

"San Pedro and Montgomery. I think." he said drowsily. 

"You think?" she cried, incredulous. But he was asleep again. 

_Unbelievable! Boy, he really pisses me off! He's infuriating! Why am I being so nice to him? Well let's see, I'm penniless and have nowhere else to go. And, oh yeah, that damn last vision in Caritas. Stupid PTBs, stupid Angel, stupid Darla. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm a saint, that's got to be it! If I can't be an actress then I'm a friggin' saint._

She gave a deep and gusty mental sigh as she glanced at him one more time. 

_All things considered, I'd rather be an actress._

She smacked the steering wheel hard, once. The sudden but brief pain radiating from her palm cooling off her internal rant-fest. 

And he had helped her many times before. The last a gesture of such unselfish caring, when she was most vulnerable and he have humiliated to no end. She still felt warm inside whenever she recalled the incident. It was something she still appreciated to this day. She even appreciated the cover story he ad-libbed, and the delicate way he acknowledged her thanks without revealing anything about her situation. Though she had never asked him why he did it, she had her suspicions, and that too made her feel good inside. 

Sighing again, audibly this time, she called up a mental map of the town, startled to discover the given address was in a very upscale area of town. Not as posh as where she used to live, before the IRS rearranged her life, but still very nice. She couldn't begin to imagine how Xander managed to have a place like that. 

She glanced occasionally at the snoring lump in the passenger seat while continuing the trip to the new destination. He seemed to be dressing a little better than she last remembered, clothing at least coordinating, if not stylish. And he still looked pretty good, physically. She liked that he'd let his dark hair grow out a bit. 

After a few minutes she pulled over to the curb at San Pedro and Montgomery, where two buildings stood on opposite corners. She lightly shoved him to wake him up. "Which one?" she asked without preamble when his eyes started to flicker open. 

He made several faces as he tried to rouse himself, then squinted from one to the other and back again. "That one", pointing. He managed, with some difficulty, to stay awake for the last few yards it took to drive to the indicated building and pull into a spot. She handed him the keys after turning off the engine. 

Taking them from her, he got out without saying a word. He noticed she also got, which surprised him. He stared dumbly at her and then at the keys in his hand. Car key, apartment key, a couple for locks at work, Magic Box key. He looked back up at her, still not able to figure out what she was doing, just standing there. 

An odd thought occurred to him then and he started to fight with the keyring, managing to get the car key off after much effort. As she watched him curiously he handed it back to her. "Thanks. Um, I don't need the car tomorrow. Take it wherever you're staying." 

She bit her lip, looked away briefly, visibly struggling internally, and nervously bouncing on her feet before she answered. "I don't have any place to stay." 

He looked back at the both of her for several long moments, watching them split and merge in a weirdly erotic way. The earlier bitterness and antagonism toward her slowly leached away. It wasn't her he was upset at. 

"You can stay in my place if you want." 

_Cripes! Did I just say that? Whoa, I must be really shit-faced! _

Still, it was a pretty safe offer and he knew Cordelia would refuse it. Except she didn't. To his immense surprise and consternation she nodded her head. He reminded himself to call Giles in the morning and find out what apocalypse was going down this weekend. Someone really should have warned him. 

His outward response was to shrug his shoulders and head off to the building's entrance. She followed him into the lobby, onto the elevator, and down the hall, once or twice helping steer him in the right direction whenever he thought a wall was a nice place to run into. Neither of them said a word the entire time. He was tired, drunk, and stunned at her unexpected presence. For her part she was just resigned to the whole humiliation and didn't want to add more to it by acknowledging it with any chatter. 

Arriving at his door, it took him three tries before he found the right key. He struggled some more unlocking the door, Cordelia's growing impatience palpable, oddly pleasing him. 

His apartment. The one he'd specifically got to share with Anya. Stepping into it brought back the pain. He paused after stepping over the threshold, looking around the darkened rooms, letting the pain wash over. 

_It's just, you think everything's finally come together._

He'd had some recent good luck. A beautiful girl who actually seemed to like him, or so he'd thought at the time. Another derring-do bit of chivalry, saving Buffy from the Toth. Discovering he had a "cool" side to him, someone who was competent and confident. Hey wow! A job promotion. Wow again! A new apartment way far away from his parents. Double wow! For once, everything was good and well in his life. 

He should have know better. The signs were all there, after all. 

Soon after getting the apartment (or rather, after his "cool" side did) he called Anya to share the good news. He didn't expect her to pick up and wasn't disappointed when her chirpy recorded voice answered. She was pretty upset and in one of her contrary moods. So he left a message, knowing she would get it and come over later and they could kiss and "make up". 

But CoolXander soon had more things to worry about when UncoolXander burst through the door, waving a heavy piece of scrape pipe from the construction site at his head. If that weren't enough, moments later the demon who caused all the trouble strode through the opening, gratuitously knocking the door off its hinges. Buffy and Riley's breathless arrival on its tails provided the next bit of fun. The four of them were able to kill the thing, suffering nothing more than a burn in the carpet. 

Then he needed to get reintegrated. It worried him a little the next day when she didn't show up, but maybe she needed some more time. And he was busy dealing with the door, the nice manager-lady not charging him if he would do the work himself. Plus, after work, there was more boxes to move out of the basement. 

He was starting to get a little antsy the next morning when no one picked up his phone calls. There was important stuff at work that day and he couldn't get off. He was almost frantic the whole day, barely keeping it together. After leaving work in the early evening and driving over to her place he found it all cleaned out. No message, no forwarding address. Nothing. 

He then went to see the gang at Giles' new store. No one else had seen or heard from her either. Despondently, he returned to his apartment. He found A note had been put in the mailbox, written out in her tidy scrawl. He opened it hastily, nearly shredding it in has desire to see what it might say. 

What he found inside the envelope was a 'Dear John' letter. Christ! she even addressed it that way, not knowing it was a euphemism. The details didn't matter and he didn't bother to finish reading it, letting it drop to the ground. 

Anya was gone. She never got his messages. She never returned his phone calls. She never came over. Apparently she had split while he was being unsplit. 

Afterward, he drove aimlessly around town, making random turns, not paying attention to where he was going. He wasn't surprised when he found himself in front of Willy's by the time the sun set. What the hell. He had a cashed paycheck to blow and tomorrow was Saturday. Figuring he had nothing to lose, since he was relatively safe as a friend of the Slayer, he got out of the car and opened the door. And if one of the regulars did decide to kill him then so much the better. He waved to Willy as he entered the gloom, set his money on the bar and told him to keep 'em comin'. 

That was several hours and many beers ago. 

Inside, the apartment was still spartan, occupied only by the modest furniture provided with the rent, and a bunch of unopened boxes. He shut the door after Cordelia slid past him and went into the living room proper. While she slowly spun around to get a look at everything, without a word he headed for the master bedroom, not bothering to find sheets or blankets for her, or even make sure she was okay. 

"Xan--," she uttered when she noticed his retreating back. He looked back, gave her one short, baleful glance and entered his room, slamming the door behind him. She next heard his body crashing onto the bed, followed by utter silence. 

"--der." 

She sighed, then offered, "Thanks," to the otherwise empty hallway. 

Sighing again, with a shake of her head, she resumed her inspection of his apartment. The far end of the spacious and modern living room had large windows, with an exceptional view over the town. A sliding glass door let onto a large patio outside. _How the hell could he afford this?_ she wondered in gaping astonishment. _Did it have ghosts, too?_

Poking around some more, she soon found the extra bedroom, only to discover more boxes...and no bed. However, near the door, in an untidy stack, were unopened packages of linens and blankets. Returning with them to the living room, she spent a few moments making up the sofa as comfortable as she could. Then she did her own collapse, bone tired, and immediately fell to sleep. 

She dreamed of sunny days in the park and bright emeralds. 


	2. Our Gang

**Title**: Segue 

**Summary**: A reunion of sorts. 

**Spoilers**: BtVS:The Replacement, AtS:Redefinition 

**Disclaimer**: Characters and setting belong to Joss Whedon, ME, and/or 20th Century Fox. 

**AN**: I hadn't orginally intended this part to be so long, but once these guys get to chattering in your head they just don't stop! This is also my first effort at ensemble writing (I don't count ABF); you be the judge of my success.

* * *

**Part 2, Our Gang**

The tall, sandy-haired young man bounded up the steps of Stevenson Hall, looking forward to a beautiful Saturday with his girl. This would be the first time in a long time they would be getting together outside of campus and patrolling. Riley had great hope that _this_ time with Buffy, just her and nobody else--especially no vampires or demons--would help rekindle her feelings for him. 

Not long ago he had told Xander he knew just how lucky he was to be with her, also admitting he could feel her slowly slipping away. While he wasn't quite desperate yet, he was at loose ends trying to figure out how to get that indefinable spark back into their relationship. He hoped that magic, of the non-hellmouthy variety, would be in the warm early autumn air. 

Bouncing on his toes in anticipation he knocked on the door. It swung inward to reveal Buffy Summers, wearing nothing but sandals, a bright yellow sundress and an even brighter smile. He nodded his head in appreciation and gave a soft whistle, "Why Ms. Summers, you're looking quite gorgeous today!" 

"You like?" twirling on her toe, flinging the dress open and revealing more of her tanned legs. 

"Very!" He scooped her up and gave her a deep lingering kiss which she returned with a passion, making a pleasurable humming sound. 

"Hmmm, morning kisses from my boyfriend, the best kind!" 

"R.T.R?" he asked when they finally broke apart, already feeling the day had gotten off to a perfect start. 

"Artee-are? Is that how Iowan's play pirate?" she teased. 

"No," smiling indulgently, "Initiative-speak for 'Ready to roll'. So...?" 

"RTR we are!" Buffy confirmed with a quick nod, laughing as they walked hand-in-hand down the hallway. "And where are we rolling to, Mr. Finn?" 

"I thought we might head up the coast, maybe go to San Simeon. See the Hearst Castle. I've heard it's really neat and the drive is supposed to be beautiful." 

"Oh, so that's why the early start," she nodded her head in understanding before a the first frown of the day made it's appearance. "I don't think we can go that far," hurriedly explaining in the face of Riley's obvious disappointment. "I promised Giles we'd help out at the Magic Box this afternoon. With the lifting and stuff. I hope you don't mind too much, honey?" She screwed up her face prettily to help plead her case. 

Determined not let this obstacle get him down, Riley brightened again with a new idea, "Pismo Beach, then? A quick picnic on the beach. We can be back by one. Two at the latest?" 

"Well..." began Buffy, amused by Riley's eager-to-please puppy-dog looks, "...okay. But a real quick picnic. A quicknic!" 

"Done!" he said as he opened the car door for her before running around to get in himself. After starting the car he looked over to Buffy and saw she had a pensive look. "Now what's the what? See? You have a multi-lingual boyfriend: I can do Scooby-speak, too!" 

She smiled fleetingly before she answered. "I need to ask Giles about something." 

"What? If it's not too slayer-confidential or anything." 

"No, no, nothing like that. It's, well...last night. I had the strangest dream." 

"Did you now? Did you sail away to China, in a little rowboat to find me?" 

"No, why would I do that?" genuinely curious. 

"Uh, No reason, no reason," mild disappointment evident and then gone. "Was I in it at all?" he asked hopefully. 

"Actually..." hopeful lines creased his brow as he waited on her answer. "No, you weren't." 

"Oh," he harrumphed, "What was it?" 

"Well, beaches seem to be a theme today. I was on the beach, just standing in the sand, watching the sunset." 

"And that's strange because..." the question left hanging. 

"The sun was going backwards." 

"Backwards?" 

"Yeah, rising. Not setting." 

"Okay, a backwards sun. A little odd, but that's not so strange. I mean, for dreams." 

"Well, just as the sun was coming up, the sky turned green." Her eyes went big and dreamy with the memory of the vision. "It was the most beautiful color I've ever seen. The entire sky. Just for a moment. Then it was just a regular sunset again, only backwards, y'know, 'cause wrong-way sun." 

"Hmmm." he nodded his head very thoughtfully. 

"Are you still qualified to say that?" she chirped. 

"Oh, yeah. I've got my muh degree." 

"Huh?" 

"No, not a 'Huh' degree," he chided her in a teasing tone, "A _Muh_ degree!" 

She didn't respond this time, waiting him out, arms crossed. He gave in first, of course. "Master of 'Hmmm'. 'M' 'H'. Muh." 

She groaned theatrically, "Oh, you are so in trouble for that!" 

"I quiver in fear," he mocked. "Actually," a thoughtful look replacing a leer, "maybe I really should." 

"Yes, I think you should!" He had just stopped the car for a red light and she used the opportunity to lean over and tickle him on the neck, right where he was most sensitive. 

"Hey hey hey, no tickling the driver!" he shouted as he first tried to squirm out of reach before retaliating with a full five-fingered tickle to her side, fully knowledgeable of her weak spots. 

"But the driver can tickle the passenger? Where's the fair in that? And you've got reach!" 

"All's fair in love and war, and I'm sure this is one of them." 

"Oh, I think it's war!" as she leaped again to tickle him. 

They eventually settled down and, after the light turned green, they were on their way to a beautiful day at the beach. 

But Riley couldn't leave well enough alone. "Still. Why the big worry?" 

"It kinda felt like a slayer dream." 

--- 

The incoming beam of late morning sunlight slowly traced across the unmade bed and onto Xander's face, gently caressing his eyes with its warmth. His waking reaction was to squinch his lids tighter yet. His head throbbed and pounded like the jackhammers at the construction site that week, and the last thing he needed to add to it was the heat of the hellfires. 

_I hate California! Why couldn't it rain all the time? I'll bet Seattle has nice rain._

His self-inflicted agony was not improved by memories of a horrific nightmare. He'd gotten plastered after finding Anya had left him. Then the avenging ghost of Cordelia came back from LA to taunt him, very much the ghosts of past, now, and future Harris Christmas's all rolled into one. This one ranked up there with some of the worst nightmares he'd ever had. Perhaps the very worst. 

The sun wasn't at all intimidated by the fierce scowl and cranky grumbling and didn't meekly hide behind a convenient cloud. Xander decided, therefore, to make a tactical retreat to the windowless bathroom, an idea heartily seconded by his bladder. 

After relieving himself, he leaned down heavily on the sink basin and dared a glance in the mirror. "Unnghyah!" exclaiming, as he recoiled from the sight. 

_Note to self: get rid of mirror._

Shaking himself off, and carefully keeping his eyes off the mirror, he splashed water onto his face and opened the medicine cabinet. He was sure he had the mega-large bottle of extra-strength aspirin, a daily staple for demon fighters who are not also slayers, he stole from home. Finding and putting three in his hand, he closed his eyes to judge the pounding without the distraction of the demon image in the mirror, and added another tablet. He ran some water into his Scooby-doo cup and drank deeply, satisfied he had accomplished something constructive. He was halfway turned toward the door when he discovered his other hand still held the pills. Groaning, this time he put them in his mouth before taking another drink from the cup. 

Deciding he could face down the sun, or at least avoid it, he took off to accomplish his next goal: find food. Feed a hangover. He exited the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. Xander didn't notice at first the smell of fresh brewed coffee, but he did see the back of a very feminine figure sitting on a bar-stool at the kitchen counter. 

_Anya? Anya! She's back!_

"An--" 

The exclamation died a bitter end on his lips as the statuesque brunette turned her head, smiling brightly. 

"Mornin', sunshine!" Cordelia greeted before taking a sip from her coffee. 

"Oh God!" clapping his hand to his forehead, staggering with the sudden hammer-blow pain ricocheting around the inside of his skull. 

"I prefer 'Cordy'. 'Cordelia', if you insist on formality. I like 'Princess' too, but only one person is allowed to call me that." A memory caused her bright expression to falter momentarily. "But it's still kinda early and you're hung over, so I'll forgive you." As an epilog she quickly added a disclaimer and a warning, "Just this once. Call me 'Cor' and I'll twist your nuts off." the light lilt in her voice layered over steel. 

He collapsed onto the stool across from her and started pounding his head against the counter in rhythm to the internal hammer blows. 

"If you're going to reshape your head--which I might add, can only be a good thing--do it quieter. Your moaning is really creeping me out." 

The nightmare wasn't over! _It's the Nightmare on Montgomery Street!_ he wailed internally. 

He sighed, then exclaimed, "Cordy! What are you doing here? Here! In Sunnydale! In my apartment! Here!" 

Amused, she asked innocently, "You don't remember?" 

"I remember this ni--um, dream. Dream. And you were in it. You came back to torture me!" 

"Well, I did come back. Obviously. And not that you don't deserve much pain in your life, it looks like you're in enough for now and I'll desist. But _you_ were the one who invited me to stay." nodding her head at the sheets and pillows on the sofa. 

"I did? Me!" he squeaked, glancing over. 

He cleared his throat a couple of times before continuing in a more normal tone. "Wh--uh, umm, why? I mean, why would I do that? More importantly, why would _you_ accept?" 

His seemingly simple questions brought them to the brink of a critical juncture in their relationship. She understood that she had three choices here. She could lie, she could tell a truth, or she could tell the honest truth. She opted for the last. 

"You're a decent guy, Xander Harris," she admitted before adding a qualifier, "Sometimes." 

He blinked. Was that a statement or a question? He wasn't sure. He tried parsing her response again. _Hmm, nothing._ He tried it backwards. _Nope, still nothing._ He let it roll around in his head a few more seconds still with no luck. He tried it on toast with honey. _Nadda, still zip. Damn, she can be really subtle!_ He was stumped. _Maybe this is one of those new LA things that hadn't made it to the sticks yet? _

"Okay, color me stumped," he admitted, "It's early. My head hurts. But I'm not sure how that was supposed to 'get me'. I know it dulls the knife but... can you explain the punch line?" 

She heaved an exaggerated breath. She guessed she would be doing that a lot more in the near future. Last night, able to see at least somewhat through his drunken bitterness, she could tell he had matured reasonably well in the year and a half since they parted ways. _But jeez, he can still be such a putz at times!_ That, unfortunately, was something that hadn't changed. 

"I wasn't trying to be mean, Xander. No knife. No punch. No punch line. I meant what I said." 

"Really?" blinking his astonishment, at her presence or her present attitude, he wasn't sure. 

Nodding her head gently and speaking softly, she confirmed her original answer, "Really, really." 

Emanating deep down from emotional depths, a laugh of intense relief come forth. It was a laugh for the relief he felt that this woman before him, one that he had hurt so badly, had seemingly forgiven him and was willing to make a peace with him. She gave him a curious look, one mixed with the disdain only she was capable of, which only made him laugh harder. 

With a huff, Cordelia resorted to ignoring him while he got whatever he needed out of his system, and returned to her coffee. When he had finally settled down he wordlessly got up and retrieved a mug from near the sink, eyed the insides, sniffed it, shrugged his shoulders and poured himself a cup of genuine Columbian-grown Cordelia-made brew, his first ever. 

Sitting back down again across from her, he asked, "Why didn't you take the other bedroom?" taking his first sip as she answered. 

"Duh, no bed! Just boxes." 

"Oh, yeah. Forgot," he grimaced, more from the battery acid he'd just ingested than from any embarrassment. It took incredible effort to keep his face from turning inside out, and only somewhat less from making any actual comment. _Wow! Someone really is capable of making worse coffee than Giles!_

"You're doing a lot of that lately." She paused to take another sip from her cup before continuing in a serious tone, "Look, Xander, about why I'm back. I need to talk to Buffy." 

"You want to talk to Buffy? Really?" expression and voice both indicating astonished disbelief. 

"No, numb-brain! Listen to the words I'm saying. I don't _want_ to talk to her. I said I _need_ to talk to her. She's not living at home, right?" 

He nodded his head slowly. "She's on campus." 

"Can you show me where? It'd save a lot of time." 

"I can do that, but we're all supposed to get together at the Magic Box this afternoon anyways, to help Giles. Can it wait till then?" 

"Well, I suppose so. A few hours shouldn't make a difference." _If_ she understood that last vision correctly. 

She gave Xander's apartment a long and careful inspection. "This really is a nice place, Xander. Nice ceiling fan." 

--- 

"I didn't say anything before, Cordy, but giving Buffy a message can hardly be enough of a reason to come back here. You were going to be an actress, I thought. And you're working with Angel, right? So what's going on?" Xander asked Cordelia as he turned out of the parking lot, heading for Giles' new shop. 

Cordelia pushed back into the seat before answering. "Yeah, acting. Pfft! It was a lot tougher than I thought. Talk about illusions! I may have been hot stuff in this flea-bite town, but there, I was another pretty face with little talent. Bigger boobs than some, otherwise nothing special. Just another notch for some casting agent or director." 

"Stop it, Cordy!" he scolded her, harsher than intended. He swallowed before continuing more calmly, "That's bullshit. You're an amazing person, someone--" 

"Special?" 

"Yeah," smiling, "that. Special. I've always believed it." 

Cordelia looked over at him, lips turned up in a small, sad smile of her own. "You always were kinda stupid that way," she observed without malice. 

"Idiot Jed's cousin, Stupid Jake." which earned him a short laugh from the girl beside him. "So then you hooked up with Angel?" 

When he'd heard the news from Willow he didn't understand the onslaught of emotions that bit of knowledge brought forth. On the one hand, Xander wasn't sure who he should feel more sorry for, her or Angel. On the other, he detected in himself the distinct malodor of jealousy of their onetime ally of convenience. 

"At a Hollywood party." she confirmed. As they worked their slow way through Sunnydale's streets, she quickly described how she joined Angel and Doyle, forming Angel Investigations. He quirked his eyebrow in interest at the description of her friendship with Doyle, but said nothing and let her continue. He had no way of knowing what details of her role with AI were being left out. 

"And that brings us back to the original question. Why are you back?" 

She studied him closely before answering. As best she could tell he was asking only out of innocent and curious interest, mixed with concern for her well being. No guile intended, no desire to throw her answers back in her face. 

As before, she wanted to give him the full and honest truth, but she didn't think she should do that until first speaking with the slayer. This time she decided on answering with only the personally painful part of the truth. 

"Angel..." she began as she closed her eyes. She recalled the utter and complete shock she'd felt at the time, not sure what had just happened. It was like someone had gut punched her, knocking all the breath from her for several long moments. The terrible hurt and disappointment had followed close on the heels of that shock. 

After Xander's betrayal she had promised herself to never allow anyone have that power over her, not ever again. Never to let someone just trample on her emotions and trust like they were dry leaves, to make her feel so useless, helpless. Unwanted. 

But life never works out like you plan. Genuine friendship, once offered, accepted and experienced, is a subtle and powerful drug. Fully aware, she gave into its seductive addiction and let Angel and Doyle, and later Wes and Gunn, into her life. They had become first her friends and then her family as the drug worked its way into her psyche. 

Once again she felt loved and comforted. 

Only to get stomped on. 

Again. 

She quickly got over her initial anger at Angel, her experience with Xander teaching her it just made things worse. But she still keenly felt the hot bitterness of disappointment in someone she had placed her trust and the withering emptiness of loss. 

How painfully, comically ironic that Xander, the other person to have trampled on her like that, was the one person she felt she could unburden herself to. A short bark of bitter laughter escaped her, earning a quizzical look from Xander. 

Sucking in a deep, strengthening breath she finished her statement, "He fired us." 

"Fired you? As is in 'You're fired!' fired? Shown the door? Given the boot? RIFed? Hasta la vista, without the vista?" 

"YES! Xander! Fired. Got it?" she spat out. "Not killed, like you're about to do--AAAGGH!" Xander quickly swerved to avoid the oncoming tree. "Now keep your eye on the road!" So much for confiding in putz's, angrily shaking her head. 

"Aw shit! I'm--Damn! I'm sorry, Cordy. That really bites! No pun intended." He reached over and gave her hand a quick gentle squeeze. "I really am sorry." 

Okay, so maybe he wasn't such a putz. 

"What happened. I mean, if you don't mind my asking." 

She launched into the whole sordid story of Darla's return as human. How she infiltrated Angel's dreams. How Angel tried to redeem her but failed. How Drusilla was recruited to turn her again. How he'd let Drusilla and Darla kill the Wolfram & Hart lawyers. And how Angel degenerated in order to fight her. How she and the others had called him on it. And been fired over their concern for a friend in trouble. 

Xander remained uncharacteristically quiet during her tale before squawking, "Angelus is back?" 

"No! Take a chill pill would you? No, he's not Angelus. He's just like, obsessed with killing Darla. But I don't think he'll hurt humans." 

"And the Wolfram & Hart, they're like Evil Incorporated, LA?" 

"Yeah. Big evil law firm." 

"Kinda redundant." he smirked, Cordelia laughing in agreement. "He's really not Angelus?" still skeptical. 

"No, I'm sure about that. Well, pretty sure." 

"And he's only after Darla?" 

"Drusilla, too, I guess." 

He paused to look around before proceeding through the intersection. "Who's 'we'?" 

"We?" 

"The 'us' that got fired." 

"Me. Wes and Gunn." 

"Wes has a gun?" 

"Charles Gunn. Two N's," gesturing with two fingers the way Gunn had corrected her. "He's from LA, leader of a street gang that fights vampires. A good guy. He helps us out a lot." 

"And Wes? That's our Wesley? Mr. Screams-like-a-woman Wes?" feeling that twinge of jealousy again. 

She rolled her eyes at the slur on her friend. "That Wes, yes. He's different now." 

"Sure." 

She refused to get into a debate over her friendship with Wesley and didn't respond. 

--- 

Early afternoon found Giles wandering about his very own, and very cluttered, shop, overwhelmed at the amount of work that still needed to be done before the grand opening. _Where to begin?_ he wondered. Books were easy. They're all just books, for which perfectly good filing systems had been invented. You just picked a starting point and worked your way through the shelves until every book had its place. Simple. 

The others weren't due for a little while yet and he wearily trudged to the back room. He wanted to see what he could do about clearing it to make space for a training area for Buffy. Just before entering the room he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Dawn was not getting into any trouble or making things even more of a mess. 

_And why am I babysitting while Buffy's mom is off for the weekend? I really need to learn to say 'no' to that woman!_

Xander and Cordy entered the shop, the annoying little bell attached to the door frame ding-a-linging. Coming out of the bright daylight they didn't see anyone at first. 

"We're a little early, I guess. Giles must be in the back or something." 

Xander started to head in that direction when he spotted a young female sitting with her back to him, long dark hair falling straight down. Xander gave Cordy a conspiritual wink and grin, putting his finger to his lips to indicate she should stay quiet. Cordelia rolled her eyes at his immature theatrics but went along with the request just the same. 

He slowly, noisily, tip-toed up behind Dawn, whose back straightened but remained turned to him. She clearly heard his squeaking shoes and smiled brightly as she raised her head, still not turning to face her would-be assailant. She was ready to play her part in the game. 

Approaching closely, Xander put his hands carefully across his own eyes, completely blocking all sight and, in a silly gruff voice, issued his challenge: "Guess who!" 

Dawn's indulgent smile widened with her first answer. 

"Mick Jagger?" 

"Yuck! No! Try again." 

Cordelia smiled warmly at the childish pair and their games, snapping her expression back to imperious disapproval when he peeked her way, again shushing her. 

"Buffy?" Dawn guessed next. 

"No. Getting warmer." shaking his head in mock-disgust. 

"This is really tough! Hmmm, who could it be now? Is it...Prince Charming?" eliciting a snort from Cordelia. 

"Bingo!" Xander cheered, taking his hands away as Dawn quickly stood, knocking over the chair without a care, turning and giving the object of her crush-y desires a delighted enthusiastic hug. 

"Xander!" 

She immediately saw Cordelia over his shoulder, "and Cordy!" screeching in his ear at a painful pitch, letting go of him and racing around to enfold Cordelia in a bone-crunching embrace. At first the older girl tried to play cool and detached, as if above all this immature nonsense, but soon dropped her carefully constructed veils and wholeheartedly returned Dawn's affections, overjoyed at seeing the younger Summers again. 

"Oh my God, Cordy! I'm so happy to see you!" Dawn was virtually spastic with energetic joy, bouncing and clapping her hands. Xander watched the pair with a huge delighted grin. Aside from himself, Dawn was just about the only other person that ever 'got' Cordelia, and the two girls had always gotten along well, even after his breakup with Cordelia. 

"Wow, you're here in Sunnydale! Wow!", clapping her hands and jumping up and down some more, "What are you doing here? Oh, this is so cool! Are you staying long? Where're you staying? You've _got_ to come over to--" 

"DAWN!" Cordelia shouted, nearly as excited as Dawn was, "time to come up for air!" She switched to a soothing, more even tone, "Be dignified. Breath" she instructed, making encouraging rolling motions with her hands, "Breath..." 

Dawn stopped bouncing and began taking deep breathes, grinning ear to ear nonetheless. "Calm, calm, I'm being very calm. See, Cordy, I'm calm and dignified." 

"Excellent! A queen is always calm, collected and dignified." 

"How does that explain you?" interjected Xander before wilting under Cordelia's withering glare. 

"And you're here with Xander!" Dawn's smile changing to a knowing, teasing, leer. Even though she had a newly developed crush on Xander, Cordelia was the one person she would share him with. 

"Yeah, I'm here with the dork. I stayed at his place last night. And I'm here for a while, I don't know how long." 

"Is he being good to you?" she asked suspiciously. She'd been almost as heart-broken as Cordelia was when they broke up, a real low point for her and Xander's friendship. But he had confided in her after the break-up and she got a sense of what he was going through, how he was beating himself up for being such a jerk. Not that that was any sort of excuse in her book; he was still a jerk, just not quite as big a one. It took a long time for them to mend their friendship. 

"He was a real gentleman." Cordelia answered with a sideways look, daring him to challenge the claim. 

Xander was befuddled and surprised at Cordelia's unexpected compliment, held speechless, just as intended. 

"A gentleman? Xander?" Dawn snickered, then nodded her head, "Oh, yeah! Good one, Cordy. LA seems to have affected your sense of humor." Dawn then pulled Cordelia back to the table and they were soon engaged in a lively interrogation, asking each other everything about Los Angeles and Sunnydale, catching up on all the latest gossipy news. 

Xander smiled again at the two of them before he headed back in search of Giles, hearing peals of laughter from behind. It was strange how the two of them had always gotten on so well even though Cordelia's interaction with Dawn's sister tended to be cool. He could only shake his head in wonder at the strangeness of life on the Hellmouth. 

He returned a few moments later with Giles, the later smiling broadly at the sight of Cordelia. "Cordelia, my dear, it's so nice to see you again!" They embraced quickly and discreetly, "If it's not too intrusive, may I ask what brings you back?" 

"I have a message for Buffy," she informed him seriously. 

"You do? Well...err, good, then. She should be here any moment. Would you like some tea or coffee while we wait?" Giles, as always, was the perfect host. 

"Tea would be wonderful, Giles, thank you." He stepped over to the sideboard he had set with tea and coffee service--one of the first things he'd done with the place--to prepare her drink. 

While Sunnydale mostly contained people, places and things she never wanted to see again, Giles was emphatically not one of them. His comforting patriarchal presence had been a rock in her life, his cultured and mannered demeanor never faltering no matter how bitchy she got, for which she dearly appreciated. 

Everyone turned their heads at the sound of the bell to see Willow and Tara enter, in the middle of a heated but good-natured difference of opinion. Deep in their arguments, neither Willow nor Tara noticed the others as the pair descended into the shop. 

"It's the _action_ that's important in this situation! She's a woman of action. A solemn task, yes, but ultimately one that needs doing, that requires action to be fulfilled. And that's what needs to be expressed!" Tara tried to explain to Willow. 

"But solemn! And spirituality! It's a very deep and intense business. She needs to be able to maintain her spirituality and be in touch with that side of her destiny. The action is nothing without the spirit!" 

"S-s-spirit, shmeerit," Tara retorted, casually dismissing Willow's points with a wave. "Action. Direct and to the point!" She grinned suddenly at her little joke, "Heh! Point. Get it? Point?" Tara giggled to herself for a moment, not caring that Willow had misplaced her sense of humor today. 

"I think you've been spending wa-a-ay too much time around Xander, sweetie," Willow scolded gently, rolling her eyes. 

"What're you ladies talking about?" asked Xander, getting their attention. 

"Speaking of the devil." Willow took it upon herself to answer, attempting to get across her side first, better to sway Xander in her favor. "Xander, if you had to pick a Slayer anthem, what would it be? 'Dust in the Wind' or--" 

"'Another One Bites the Dust', Tara quickly inserted. 

"Oh," Xander seemed a bit taken aback but recovered quickly, not needing any time to weigh the pros and cons. "'Bites the Dust'. Hands down." 

"What!" exclaimed Cordelia, "'Dust in the Wind' is so-o-o way better. You have no class, Xander--no news there, of course. _Whatever_ you pick has got to be the _wrong_ answer. It's like a law of nature." 

"Hey, Cordy!" Willow spoke up in greeting, though with not nearly as much cheery enthusiasm as Dawn had previously. She and Cordelia were friendly enough over the phone whenever Cordelia needed help on the computer. But face-to-face Willow still had some conflicting thoughts. Still, she came over and gave Cordelia a quick hug, "When did you get in?" 

"Last night. Stayed at Xander's," she admitted tiredly. Might as well get that part over with as soon as possible. 

"Oh?" Willow made a face and eyes at Xander. Though she continued to have her issues with Cordelia, and didn't think she'd ever understand why Xander had been so attracted to her, she also had never warmed up to Anya. If forced to pick between the two for Xander she would choose Cordelia over Anya any day. Well, most days, anyway. 

"Yes, really." Getting it over with did _not_ mean she intended to get into a discussion of her stay at Xander's and she quickly changed the subject. "Who's your friend?" turning to face Tara, who had suddenly gotten very quiet. 

"Oh, right. Cordelia, this is Tara. We're...ah...that is..." she hemmed and hawed, "We met at school." Willow said finally, not explaining more. "Tara, this is Cordelia, a...friend?" Cordelia answering her questioning glance with an exasperated confirming nod, "a friend from high school." 

"It's v-v-very nice to meet you, Cordelia," Tara stuttered, but otherwise met Cordelia's eyes with a steady gaze and firm handshake of her own. 

"The pleasure's mine." 

A brief but absolute silence fell over the shop, everyone staring slack-jawed at Cordelia, Xander the exception, whose jaw was only half way to the floor. 

"What!" demanded an aggrieved Cordelia. 

"Nothing. Nothing, Cordelia--" began Giles. 

"It's just... Are you feeling well?" a perplexed Willow wanted to know. 

"Just because I have style and don't dress all Earth Mother doesn't mean I can't pretend to be nice. Sometimes. It's good acting practice." 

"Okay yup. You're good!" a very relieved Willow grinned, now that her understanding of the world, momentarily knocked off-kilter, had corrected itself. 

"You've abandoned Sears' softer side. It works for you. And I like the haircut too, Will. And I even agree with you. 'Dust in the Wind' would be a much better choice." 

And so the friendly verbal smack-down was on, Xander and Tara tag-teaming for 'Another One Bites the Dust', while Cordelia and Willow upheld 'Dust in the Wind'. Dawn jumped in with her suggestion and the four young adults and almost-teenager were soon were engaged in a vociferous argument. 

Giles opined from outside the field of battle that 'Here Comes the Sun' should be considered in the mix as well. He remained silent after a chorus of 'Ewwws' and "old fart music" rained down upon him from all quarters, except for Dawn. 

"I like that one!", she piped. 

The fray was still a-fraying when the door once more jingled, revealing Buffy and Riley. 

"Buffy!" Xander and Willow chorused, "you're the deciding vote!" 

Willow quickly said, "'Dust in the Wind'?--". 

"Or 'Another One Bites the Dust'," said Xander. Cordelia took the opportunity to drop back a little, unnoticed, into a shadowy part of the store. 

"And I'm deciding what now? Children," Buffy switched to her best mom-voice, hands on hips, "we've talked about this before. When I walk into the middle of a conversation, you have to give me the back-story before asking me anything." 

"Slayer anthem. Which one is better?" 

"Oh. Oh." She settled back to think, hand raised to chin. "Uh...what are the choices again?" 

"'Dust in the Wind' or 'Another One Bites the Dust'", Tara provided. 

"I rather liked 'Here Comes the Sun', but--" Giles was again quickly silenced by a round of Bronx cheers from the younger crowd. 

"Hmmm." Buffy paused to carefully consider her choices while Riley stepped into the store to grab himself a cup of coffee, chuckling quietly. The slayer and her friends never ceased to amaze him with their inanity--nay, insanity!--in the face of the horrific dangers they faced every day. He always found it a refreshing, if somewhat uncomfortable, difference from the stolid and military-stiff seriousness of the Initiative. 

"Okay, I've got it," Buffy proclaimed, giving an acknowledging nod to Giles, "it's 'With a Little Help From My Friends'." 

Silence ensued as everyone digested this entirely new angle. Willow was the first to go all weepy, rushing forward to engulf Buffy in a teary hug. "Aww, Buffy! That's so sweet!" she sniffled. 

She was soon joined by Xander, Dawn and Tara in a big group hug-a-thon. Giles was naturally too British to join in such emotional displays, no matter how mushy his insides had just turned, and he settled for a quirky half-smile. Riley looked on and decided to stay next to Giles in a silent expression of macho solidarity. 

While still engaged in the wonderful sensation of being hugged by lots of females, Xander looked over at the aloof Riley and quickly dismissed inviting him in, knowing he was still too much the soldier to feel comfortable with such silliness (_If he only knew what he's missing!_). His eyes alighted upon Cordelia, still standing uncertainly in shadow. 

He called out to her. "You too, Cordy! Come on!" waving her over. 

The mention of Cordelia's name drew a response from Buffy, "Cordy?" 

Reluctantly, Cordelia gave the group a loose and prim hug before quickly disengaging, soon after which they all broke apart. 

"So. Cordy. You're back," Buffy observed. 

"Yep. Stayed with Xander last night." 

Buffy's raised her eyebrows, but quickly moved on to what she really wanted to know, "And how's LA these days?" 

Cordelia easily read the sub-text of the question and answered accordingly, "LA...could be better." 

"Oh?" Buffy paused to decide what to do next. 

While Buffy tried to divine the meaning of Cordelia's terse obtuse news, Cordelia took the opportunity to step up to Riley with an appraising look. 

"And you must be Riley," nodding her head approvingly. 

"Uh..." throwing a confused look Buffy's way. "Uh, yes, ma'am. Riley Finn." 

"Ma'am!" she arched her eyebrow disdainfully to match his amused smirk. "Turn around," she commanded, indicating with her hand how he should turn about. The soldier in him automatically obeyed before the recently discovered inner rebel could stop him. He did a slow turn on his heels while Cordelia nodded her head appreciatively during the inspection. "I can see why Angel doesn't like you." 

"That works well then," grated Riley, "I don't like him either." 

Ignoring his reply, she directed her next comment to Buffy, "A real pain in the neck, is he? Any time you're tired of him just say the word." 

"What! No!" 

"Really? By the end of the day, always craning up at him, I'd think you would be suffering!" 

"Cute." Buffy decided to give a little back, "So, Cordy, what kind of moron are you? You said only a moron would ever come back to Sunnydale. I'm just kinda curious." 

Dawn, who had been watching the brewing clash of the two alpha females from the side, shook her head and rolled her eyes, throwing up her arms in disgust. Her sister could be such an obnoxious bitca. She had never learned to appreciate Cordy's candor and good taste. Deciding she had an elsewhere to be before the catfight got properly underway, Dawn grabbed her backpack and headed for the door. "I'm supposed to meet Janice today to go over next week's test. Bye." she announced to the group. "Please stop by some time, Cordy," she invited. 

"Thank you, Dawn, I will." 

Buffy shook her head, not understanding her baby sister at all. She often wondered how they could even be sisters, their ideas and opinions, and pretty much everything else differed so much. She returned her attention back to Cordelia. 

"I'm here to see you, Buffy, something to tell you." 

"Will miracles never cease? No, wait, this wouldn't count as a miracle. Maybe an anti-miracle..." she trailed off as she waggled her hand. 

This was going about as well as Cordelia expected, maybe even a bit better, but she still didn't have to enjoy going through the motions. "In private." she huffed, taking the slayer's arm and guiding her off to a far corner of the shop. Buffy was too surprised at this turn of events to raise a protest and let herself be carried along. 

"I wonder what that's all about," commented Willow. She made a question face at Xander, while watching Cordelia waving her arms about, making a determined effort to convince Buffy of something. Buffy looked over at them every now and then. Whatever Cordelia was saying, Buffy didn't appear to be taking it well. 

"I have no idea," answered Xander, as Cordelia began tapping her temple. After a few more moments, Buffy got visibly upset while Cordelia tried to calm her down. 

Eventually they reached an impasse and rejoined the others, Buffy's arms crossed under her breasts, assuming a somewhat belligerent posture, Cordelia fuming a little but otherwise satisfied with her effort. 

Riley joined Buffy, worried by her attitude. "What was all that? What did she tell you," casting an accusing glare at Cordelia, who ignored him completely. 

"I'll tell you later. It's nothing. Nothing important," staring at the door Dawn had recently passed through. She gave herself a quick mental shake and moved on to the next agenda item. "Giles!" 

"Hmmm, yes, Buffy?" 

"I had a dream last night. Maybe a slayer dream, but it was really vague. Not like other slayer dreams I've had." 

Giles was immediately interested, pushing his glasses back up, "What was it?" 

She related the same story to Giles and the group as she had to Riley. Giles nodded his head thoughtfully during the tale, occasionally asking for additional details or clarification. "Interesting," he concluded when Buffy finished. 

Buffy waved her arms about, "Interesting! That's all you have to say? Interesting?" 

"Yes, interesting. The phenomenon you described is a fairly simple, though quite rare, atmospheric occurrence. It's commonly know as the Green Flash" 

"Isn't that a comic book or something," Buffy looked Xander's way for confirmation, who was focused on Cordelia at the moment. 

"Err...yes," Giles stammered, before regaining his equilibrium. He had long ago learned not to get sidetracked by Buffy's spurious comments. He shook his head and slid easily into his professorial role. "You know what a prism is, correct?" looking to see everyone nod their heads. 

Everyone made themselves as comfortable as they settled in for another of Giles' patented long-winded lectures. Xander scanned the shop to make sure no globes or flashlights were in reach. 

"Well, the Green Flash is essentially the same thing, with the atmosphere as the prism. It occurs when the sun rises or sets, so that it's low on the horizon, and there's more air for the light to pass through, to-to-to increase the prismatic effect. 

"The sunlight is broken up and spread out just like a prism, essentially giving us multiple, overlapping images of the sun, each in a different color. We don't see the red because the sun is still high and bright enough we're blinded by the glare. Same for the yellow. We don't see the blue because that color is most easily scattered and absorbed by the molecules of air. 

"But--if the conditions are just right--we might get to see a bit of the green. But only for a moment: a flash. Hence, the Green Flash, as it were. 

He sat down on the edge of the table and began polishing his glasses. "But the way you describe it is very odd. It's only a small portion of the sun that flashes. Never the whole sky." 

"And the backward sun!" Buffy chirped. 

"How do you know it's going backwards?" he asked in a Socratic tone, settling his glasses back on his nose. 

"Giles, I just told you! I was at the beach and it was rising over the ocean. Ever been to the beach? The sun _sets_ over the ocean." 

"It sets over the ocean at all beaches?" 

"Huh?" 

"Oh!" Xander nodded his head in understanding. "That's right! At dawn the sun _rises_ over the ocean...on the east coast!" 

Giles gave him an approving nod. 

"But..." Buffy began uncertainly, "But why would I dream I'm on a beach in the east? I've never even been outside California, much less the other side of the country." 

"I don't know, Buffy, but it sounds to me what you dreamed was a form of the Green Flash at dawn. Just an ordinary dream. Nothing to fret about." His face assumed a faraway wistful look, "I've always wanted to see it, the Green Flash. Never have. It's supposed to be quite beautiful." He sighed deeply. 

When Xander glanced over at Cordelia, her head bowed in concentration, forehead furrowed, as Giles and Buffy continued debating the dream, though overall Buffy seemed much relieved. 

Xander leaned over, "What is it?" he whispered. 

She shook herself, trying to knock disorganized mental puzzle pieces into place, before answering, "It's nothing. Not yet. Something you said. Crazy thoughts." 

After some more group discussion of dreams and what they can mean, an awkward silence joined the group. While everyone stared around at each other, not wanting to get started on the work ahead, Tara looked over at Cordelia curiously. "H-H-How long are you in town for, Cordelia?" 

"Please, call me Cordy. That's much friendlier." 

Tara smiled shyly, "Okay, uh, Cordy." 

"I don't know how long I'll be here. For a couple of months, maybe," pointedly looking at a silent Buffy. "I have to find a place I can afford," swallowing her pride and throwing out the hint. 

"You could stay at o--" began Tara. 

"Why not continue to stay at Xander's" broke in Buffy. 

"WHAT!" blurted Xander. 

The corners of Buffy's mouth were upturned with what might have been an evil grin, Xander couldn't tell. "He has that extra room, and everyone else is full up. And he's already complaining about the rent. You could split it with him." 

"Oh no! No way! No, no, no. And might I emphatically add an 'Are you nuts!" 

"I'm not. And what's wrong with the idea?" 

"Cordelia? Me? Does anybody remember a little incident a couple of years ago?" making warding gestures. "Look, this is just such a bad idea on way too many levels to count!" 

Cordelia, who had been strangely thoughtful since Buffy broached the idea, pushed out her lower lip, like a little child might, and patted him condescendingly on the back. "That's okay, Xander. We'll work on your twosies tomorrow." 

Unable to think of a biting retort, stunned by both the very notion of the plan and that Cordelia hadn't raised her own objections, Xander settled for a venomous glare. Or at least he hoped it was venomous, she didn't seem troubled in the least. 

"What about Anya?" asked Tara. 

All eyes turned to Xander, who sighed through pursed his lips and looked down at the table. "She's gone and I don't think she'll be coming back." punctuating his conclusion with a tossing motion of his arm. 

"Then it's perfect!" beamed Buffy. 

He sighed again and considered further, arguing with himself. _Well, it is an expensive place, tough to swing, even after the promotion. A roomie would help, but...Cordelia? Yeesh!_

"Alright, alright, she can have the extra room. If she wants it," raising his eyebrows in question to her, getting a short nod back. 

"Now all I need is a job." 

Recovering quickly from the shock, Xander's face began to split into it's own beautific evil grin as he looked squarely at Sunnydale's newest merchant. "She could work here, for Giles." 

"What? What was that? What?" stammered Giles. 

Cordelia blasted him with the full power of her megawatt smile, virtually melting him in place as he tried to squirm out from under Xander's counter-plan. "But I-I-I'm just getting started," he waved about aimlessly, "I-I-I don't even know if I'll need any help." 

"Oh, please!" Cordelia scoffed, looking around with a critical eye, "Of course you need help!" 

"But, it's just-just..." Giles weakly attempted to continue before sighing, much like Xander had, and giving in, again like Xander, but with somewhat more grace. "Cordelia, would like a job?" 

"Such a sincere offer. However can I refuse?" she snarked in her best antebellum plantation accent. "But yes, I'll take it, thank you. Can I get a one month advance on my salary?" she inquired sweetly. 

Giles spluttered incoherently before acquiescing, as everyone knew he would. 

"And I don't have to wear a name tag, do I?" 

"No, Cordelia. I-I-I'm quite sure I can remember your name," Giles reassured her. 

Xander wisely kept consul. The others didn't know what to make of her odd question and so shrugged it off as another Cordy'ism, never to be fathomed by the low and poorly dressed. 

With all arrangements settled, the group finally got off their collective ass and down to the actual reason for their presence in the shop. Riley and Buffy did most of the heavy grunt work, aided occasionally by Xander, moving crates and unloading the heavier items. Xander built and installed shelving and display cases, occasionally aided by Buffy and Riley. Willow and Tara spent their time unloading most of the boxes and arranging the items in the spaces just created. Giles bustled about helping when and where he could, occasionally trying to act like he was running the show. And all of them worked under the critical direction of Assistant Manager Cordelia Chase, who had a flair for organization and running things and basically just telling other people what to do. 

By the late evening they were again sitting at the table, exhausted, shooting the breeze, making plans, and generally enjoying each other's company. 

Cordelia, for the most part, sat back and listened to the chatter, usually scowling or tossing out some acerbic comment, but secretly enjoying being immersed in the camaraderie again. Even though deeply hurt by Angel's turnabout, escaping back into the shallow and brittle world she once inhabited was no longer for her. Addicted, she knew she would accept the drug again. 

As she looked around and watched her once former, and now current again, friends, she noted missing persons. They were noticeable by the lack of discussion in addition to their physical absence. 

Anya was explained. From the few hints and comments that had been made earlier by Xander and the others, she had pulled a disappearing act for reasons unknown, even to Xander. 

But she also noticed a distinct lack of Oz. He was usually a fixture at any of these Scooby meetings, always silently by Willow's side. She leaned towards Xander, who noted the motion and leaned in as well, and whispered in his ear, "Where's Oz?" 

Xander took a moment before answering. "He had issues with his inner wolf and broke up with Willow. Very messy. The last anybody ever heard he was in Asia somewhere." Then he just shrugged his shoulders and rejoined the conversation which had gotten back to the slayer anthem. 

"I have that study meeting to get to, Willow," Tara informed Willow a little while later, satisfied that 'Another One Bites the Dust' had won the day, fair and square, four to three. "See you afterwards?" 

As Tara was getting up she bent over and gave Willow a lingering kiss, "See you later, baby" Willow said. 

Cordelia's eyes bugged and she gagged on her drink. She barely managed to keep her hacking coughs quiet as she elbowed Xander in the gut, causing him to emit a painful harrumph. "What'd I do this time?" he whined. 

"It's what you _didn't_ do!" she hissed, nodding her head at the pair that where just detaching now. 

"Oh, yeah," he smirked, "By 'friend', she meant 'girlfriend'. Dawn didn't say anything?" He turned back to the table as if the issue was settled before he had a chance to see her shake her head. 

"Well, girlfriend, sure. But Girlfriend? As in together, umm, well y'know, _together_? No, she didn't. Little brat, I'm gonna fix her good!" 

"Revenge aside, what of it?" 

"Oh, nothing, I guess." 

--- 

"Prepare to meet your dustiny," Buffy quipped as she pushed the stake through the beaten vampire's heart. She brushed the remnants of the vampire off her sweater and looked around, soon focusing on a groaning bush. 

Slowly, Riley painfully struggled up from behind the bush. Buffy rushed to his side to give him a hand. "Are you hurt, Riley? Oh my God, did that first vamp get you?" she asked, quickly inspecting him for injuries but not finding anything obvious. 

"No, the vamp I didn't get a scratch from. It's the pun that's making me need the ER." 

"Hey! I work very hard on those! See what happens when you stake as many vamps as I have; you try and come up with something good and original every time!" Indignant outrage soon spent she sheepishly admitted, "Besides, ever since this afternoon I haven't been able to get that stupid song out of my head." 

"Which one?" 

"The Kansas one." 

"I know what you mean. I've had Queen going all night long. I keep wanting to strut around, bouncing my head in rhythm." 

An awkward silence settled down between the pair as they headed for the cemetery's exit. Riley was the first to break it. "So, that was Xander's ex? Gotta say I'm a little surprised." 

"Yeah, that was her in all her glory." 

"Blunt." 

"You don't have to be so nice around me." 

"Tactless bitch?" he laughed. 

"Better." She laughed with him, then stopped to consider, "Well, no, not really, I guess. I mean about being a bitch. We were never very close. Still aren't, obviously. But we did have one or two heart-to-hearts. There's more to her than the Queen Bitch. I guess Xander was one of first to really see that. 

"The few, the proud, the whipped?" Buffy chuckled at the same time she shook her head before Riley continued. "Xander and her. Wild. Still can't picture them together. I mean, I like Xander a lot, he's pretty cool for a geek. But she's major leagues, and well...he's still single-A ball." 

"Nobody else could see it either." 

Another lingering quiet moment, as they both dropped the subject, was again broken by Riley, "What did she say that got you all upset?" 

"Just a lot of different stuff. Nothing really all that important," attempting to shrug off the question as nonchalantly as she could. 

Riley wasn't buying, and again considered how less and less a part of Buffy's world he was becoming. 

--- 

On a cheap sofa purchased from a local thrift store, Willow sat with Tara, the two girls snuggled in for the evening. 

"Really? Xander used to go out with Cordelia?" inquired Tara. 

Willow made a face when answering, "Oh yeah, back in the bad old days, in high-school." 

"She seems nice. A little forthright, maybe--" 

Seeking to inform her lover before she got any wrong-headed notions about Cordelia, Willow assumed a stern teaching voice, "Well that's because you don't know her. Half the time in high school you couldn't tell which was worse, fighting the vampires and demons, or having Cordy around!" 

"Really? She doesn't seem at all ba--" her response was again cut off, this time merely by Willow's stern-yet-not-quite-resolve face. 

"How did they ever get together?" 

"Now there's a question for the ages! I mean, Jesse, Xander and me, we had this 'We Hate Cordelia' club going. Yeah, a little childish, I know," Willow shrugged to Tara's look. "So, okay, I knew Jesse was just pretending, cause he just wanted to be in a club, and he really had a crush on Cordelia. But I always thought it meant something to Xander. Those guys would fight tooth and nail. You needed to duck and run for cover whenever they would get into it. And then", her animated expression becoming sad, "I caught them one day, making smoochies in the stacks." She shuddered suddenly. It had been one of the worst days of her life. 

Tara smiled in understanding and gave Willow a gentle 'you-should've known' look. "Fighting all the time?" 

Willow nodded. 

"And you never saw it? I'm only surprised you were surprised." 

Willow sat back a moment, quickly running through her memories of high-school Xander-Cordelia encounters. Looking back on them with a bit greater wisdom, and an insight not clouded by her own crush on Xander, she did see what was happening. Sadly shaking her head she considered how naive she was then. 

She noticed Tara gazing at her with tender concern and love and resolved not to dwell in the mistakes of the past. 

"Let's not talk about depressing subjects, shall we, sweetie?" 

"I like your thinking," as they resumed their kisses and caresses, snuggling closer under the warm comforter draped across them. 

--- 

The apartment door crashed open, smacking the doorstop and rebounding back at the laden couple about to enter. 

"This isn't a barn! Learn to open doors!" the better half snapped as she tried to step past her companion and across the threshold. Xander, not paying any attention to Cordelia, also tried to step through and, just like in badly written sitcoms, found himself wedged shoulder with her, both unable to continue. 

Sighing, he pulled back and ungraciously gestured for her to continue, "Beauty before brains." 

"Both, in this case!" she sniffed, proceeding to the kitchen. 

With a low growl he clenched his teeth and reached with his free hand to throttle her from behind, tripping on the threshold. An unbalanced flail, a yowl, and a spilled bag of groceries later found Xander once more looking up at her from the ground. 

She turned at the commotion behind and burst out laughing at the sprawled figure. "Oh, you're good, Xander! Real good. Lorne tells me Circus Circus is looking for new clown acts. You should apply." 

"Who's Lorne?" 

"Friend in LA," she answered, turning back to her bag and unloading it on the counter. He gathered his own supplies off the floor and stacked them on the counter in a pile next to hers. 

"Okay, this cupboard is yours and this one is mine. You take the top two shelves in the fridge. Deal?" She curtly nodded her head and began placing her items in the indicated places. 

While stowing his own purchases he noted with amused interest as she put first one, a second, and then yet another jar of peanut butter on her shelves. 

"Didn't lose the peanut butter habit, I see." 

She refused to be baited, only sticking out her tongue at him. 

In moments they were both only left with a few toiletries that needed to be stored. "Can we have a time out? For a moment?" he inquired. 

"Time out?" 

"Yeah, from the usual you and me." 

It had been a very trying evening and early night, the earlier detente ending when they left the shop and realized the full import of what they were about to become: roommates. They immediately started bickering and sniping at each other as they tried to work out some of the arrangements, constantly getting side-tracked pursuing one trail of put-downs after another. Nor had the verbal brawling eased up during their short trip to the Albertson's to stock up on needed food and supplies. Aside from actually acquiring said supplies very little real progress had been made. 

She leaned back against the countertop, arms crossed, mouth pursed, and eyebrow lofted, looking at him through narrowed eyes. 

He continued quickly but wouldn't meet her stare. "If we're going to make this work with the minimum amount of pain and ick for either of us then there's got to be some ground rules." 

Her eyebrow ascended minutely, daring him to finish. He nervously licked his lips, cleared his throat, and barreled on before he lost his nerve. "One. The guest bathroom is yours, but no girlie things can be left hanging around. Two. No going into my room. Off-limits. Verboten. Three. I wake up early on weekdays, sleep late on--" 

"You're deciding all the rules?" she demanded. 

"My place, my rules." 

"Uh huh." She uncrossed her arms now that it was her turn. "I don't like this any better than you do. Less! But until something shows up that I can afford and," taking a quick look around, "is as nice as this, we'll just have to deal. And since I'm paying half the rent then half the ground is _mine_ and I get to make half the rules! First. I get up _late_ on weekdays and," her voice dropping to a dangerous level, "oh boy, had you better respect that! Stay quiet when you get up. Two..." She continued her recitation of the rules as she saw them. Xander zoned out and prayed heavenward, wondering just who would end up shooting the other first. 

Coming back into the zone he gave a startled jump when he discovered Cordelia had finished and was in his face, glaring, obviously waiting for some kind of response. He swallowed convulsively and stepped back, not sure what to say. 

"Uh...okay?" 

That seemed to satisfy her and she turned away to put the last of her stuff in "her" bathroom. 

That preceeding moment, when she was so close he could feel her breath on his neck and cheek, had been a dicey one. He'd had the sudden urge to kiss her and just might have tried if she hadn't turned away in time. He shook his head, confused by the raging return of familiar strong feelings. _Xan-man, you are in BIG trouble!_ he thought miserably. He took a couple of deep calming breaths. _I can make this work. I can make this work._

When she came back, he decided to try and continue the time out and see how she responded. "Can I fix you something. Some coffee, maybe?" 

"Yes. Decaf. And, uh...thanks." 

As he set about heating the water he casually asked her, "What was it that bugged you earlier today?"

* * *

**AN**: The Green Flash is real, and the physics given are pretty close to what actually happens. Like Giles, I've never seen it myself, but sure would love to. By the way, the title refers to the children comedies popular during the 20's, 30's and 40's. 


	3. Friends Don't Let Friends Walk Alone

**Title:** Segue

**Summary:** Friends in need. Cordelia's presence back in Sunnydale has a drastic effect

**Warnings:** Minor vulgar language, character death

**Spoilers:** BtVS:Out of My Mind, AtS:Redefinition

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting belong to Joss Whedon, ME, and/or 20th Century Fox.

**AN:**The seeds of this story come from two comments I heard on the BtVS DVDs. The first is from Marti Noxon in her episode commentary to "What's My Line, Pt. II", during the scene where Xander and Cordelia first kiss. Speaking from her perspective of producing the fifth season, she said something along the lines of how she had always liked those two crazy kids, thought there was still something between them, and would have liked to do an episode where they meet again. I'm sure I didn't paraphrase that quite right. Oh well. The other comment is from Joss Whedon, during a third season commentary I think. He said he had promised Charisma Carpenter she could come back to Buffy if the Angel series didn't pan out. Plant those ideas in an X/C shipper and this story is what you get.

* * *

**Part 3: Friends Don't Let Friends Walk Alone**

Buffy twisted around sharply as a shadow jumped from the grove of eucalyptus trees on her right. Fortunately for the would-be assailant, her reflexes were in perfect order. She pulled her punch and narrowly but successfully did not knock him out with a vicious left uppercut. He also survived his own desperate reaction of unceremoniously flopping back on his butt, exhaling an "oof" for his efforts.

"Xander! Oh, my God, are you okay?" Buffy exclaimed. She looked down at him, brow creased in worry. "You know better than to sneak up like that. You could have been killed!" she admonished him.

Then she grinned in amusement before stepping forward with extended hand to help him up. "What are you doing here?"

Xander kept his hand over the heart that had just trebled in rate, in an effort to keep it from popping through his heaving ribs. He didn't see Buffy's hand at first, nor could he answer as he was still too busy gasping for air. She patiently kept her hand out while he verified his heart was returning to beat in its normal fashion. Then with a final shake of his head he took the offered help and pulled himself to his feet, springing up and bouncing on his toes to show he'd shaken it off.

Satisfied that he would live to see another moment he answered her question. "I came out to patrol with you. It's been awhile since we've been out together and I thought it might be a nice change." He absently brushed himself off while replying. "Maybe you could use the company. Or maybe just get in some practice defending the foolhardy yet, I must add, very innocent and very very handsome bystander from imminent death."

"Well, you got two out of three right" she commented.

"Really? Which one did I miss?"

"Innocent," was her deadpan answer.

Xander's face lit up. "Oh yeah? You think I'm handsome?" He smirked when she rolled her eyes and started walking. He easily fell into step with her as she circled around him to continue in the direction she'd had been heading.

She turned, looked him up and down and nodded her head. "Yeah, Xander, I do."

Xander puffed out his chest more than a little and added a jaunty little swagger to his step. "We've got handsome, can I get hot hunk o' love?" He waggled his eyebrows and gave her a teasing leer.

Buffy glanced back at his rooster strutting and the silly expressions he was making and utterly failed to stifle a laugh. "Take what you can get, Xander, and be happy with it."

He deflated only minutely before returning to his usual Xander-ness, although internally his thoughts were singing and a-zinging. _Oh yeah!_ he thought, _she thinks I'm handsome man, oh yeah!_

However much his thoughts may have been zinging, he never broke from his hard-learned habits for staying alive in Sunnydale, always keeping aware of the situation around him. He did admit to himself this was much easier to accomplish when not drunk and not confronted by an ex. During their walk he continually swept his eyes from side to side, keeping a constant lookout, occasionally even turning himself fully around to peer behind, his ears listening for any unnatural sounds.

Buffy was a little more casual, relying on her "spider sense" to warn her of imminent danger, and she started doing little spin tricks with her stake, twirling it between her fingers and flipping it baton-style from hand to hand. "So Xand, it's been a week since Anya took off and I've hardly seen you. How are you dealing?"

"Six days and change, actually." He sighed. This was not on the large list of happy topics he would have preferred to chat about with her. But he knew she was asking out of true concern for his well-being and he answered without annoyance. "But I'm dealing. Work's been hectic, and Giles has got me pretty busy getting everything ready for the opening. By the time I get home I just cram some food in me, crash, and start all over the next day. There hasn't been much time to think about her. And when there is...well, I just try not to."

"No word from her?"

"Not a peep."

"Bad, huh?"

"Yeah. It's just...I don't know, Buff. I thought I was doing the relationship thing right this time, y'know? I thought I'd learned from before. I thought I..." he trailed off, leaving the thought uncompleted as he morosely shuffled along beside her.

"What?"

"Nothing. You'd think it was stupid."

"C'mon, Xander. You know I would never think that." He shot her a look, "most of the time," she amended.

"I thought maybe I sorta mighta been, y'know...in love. With her. Maybe. I dunno now." He looked at Buffy and gave her a rueful shrug. "I guess definitely not now."

Buffy returned his shrug with a sympathetic smile. "Oh, Xander. Love stinks, doesn't it?"

"Amen to that," he replied with deep felt emotion.

She took his arm in hers as they walked, the ensuing silence warm and welcoming, her presence and gentle touch providing comfort enough. The simplicity of walking with her now, arm in arm, belied the complexity and depth of his feelings for her. He'd long gotten past his crushy lustful desires and cherished her so much more as his part-time adviser, critic, confessor, and confidante, and full-time best friend. He had no desire to ruin that by imposing any silly romantic notions.

At the next intersection they turned left down a smaller gravel path, one that meandered between the close-spaced graves of the older section of the cemetery, light provided only by the waxing moon. He kicked at some small stones along the way, sending them skittering ahead and into the grass. She watched as one pebble bounced off a gravestone with a dull clink. As they passed she turned her head to read the incised words.

**Baldwin Carver  
1913 - 1969  
Devoted Husband  
Beloved Father  
A Good Friend**

She slowed down as she regarded the words, the weight of her destiny unexpectedly settling down heavily.

"Hey, Xand?" she quietly asked.

Lost in his own thoughts, Xander hadn't noticed the gravestone, or even that she was looking at one. "Yeah?"

"Y'ever think about what you'd want written on your gravestone?"

"Huh?"

"What kind of words you'd like to have said about you?"

Stopping, he followed her line of sight and saw the grave she was looking at, not really any different from the hundreds of others that dotted the dim moonlit scenery.

"I know the job sucks, and you're probably a lot closer to the big sleep than I am, but why so morbid all of a sudden?"

"Just wonderin', y'know, about what I'd want people to think about me, know about me." She waved her hand at the granite speckled panorama around them to take it all in. "I mean, these stones are really the only permanent thing left for most. Family dies, paper wears out, records get lost, stuff like that. Those words," pointing at Baldwin's piece of granite, "are going to be the only thing that tells someone in the future who this person was. Your whole life summed up in ten words or less."

"Boy, you're just a barrel of slayer fun tonight, aren't you? Where's a vamp when you need one?"

She chuckled, a small unlady-like snort escaping as well. "Yeah." She turned from the stone and took up his arm again to continue their patrol. Xander made sure not to kick any more pebbles.

It didn't matter.

"But, really Xander, what would I have on my gravestone? 'Quipped well, Dusted lots of vampires'? Just seems...wrong. I'm more than that. I hope."

"You are, Buffy! You're a lot more than just a slayer." She raised her eyebrow expectantly, prompting him to continue. "You're one bodacious hottie, a--" cutting himself off when he saw her expression change to a scowl. "Okay, you're not a hott--ow!" he exclaimed while he rubbed his shoulder where she had playfully slapped him. He tried out his best hurt puppy-dog look, which garnered another laugh from her. "You're definitely contrary! And still the best friend anyone could have."

"Okay, How about this..." pursing his lips in thought for a few seconds, taking her more seriously. He threw his hands up to indicate a great big marquee gravestone in the sky.

**"Loved, and was loved."**

She nodded her head and smiled her appreciation. "Good. Mushy. But pretty good."

"Yeah, okay. Hmmm, then how about this..."

**"Beloved daughter and sister. She saved the world!"**

He paused a beat, then added,

**"A Lot"**

his open hand punching out each word.

"Xander! That's so crass!"

"I am but a mass of crass, my sassy lass."

Her rolling laughter warmed his heart to no end.

It always amazed her how Xander could so easily lighten her mood, effortlessly lifting some of the burden of her destiny from her shoulders. _The world should be filled with Xander's_, she thought. It would be a much happier, albeit much sillier, place; a trade-off she would make in a heartbeat. She stepped up to her best male friend and gave him a warm and gentle hug, careful not to squeeze too tight.

A little surprised by her reaction but never one to refuse a hug from a dear friend, Xander wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Xand?" she spoke softly into the material of his jacket.

"Hmmm?" he murmured, still reveling in her embrace.

"I'm glad you came out tonight. Thank you."

He tried to think of some clever, witty, Xander-thing to say, something to ease and soften the intensity of this moment they were having, but found there was nothing to say. Nothing but to answer her with a simple, honest and heartfelt, "You're welcome, Buffy."

Each sighing contently, they let go of the hug, stepped back, and exchanged slightly embarrassed smiles.

Suddenly remembering his construction job demanded insanely early starts she glanced down at her watch. She thought to herself she'd rather tackle most any kind of demon before waking up as early as he had to. "It's getting late, shouldn't you be heading home?"

He laughed wryly. "You're forgetting who my roommate is. Home isn't quite the warm and inviting place it used to be." He laughed again, "I think I have _you_ to thank for that."

She returned a sympathetic smile. "Good point." However she couldn't keep her smile from turning slightly wicked, not unwilling to tease him at least a little bit. "How is that working with you and her? Had your first knock-down, drag-out yet? No punching below the belt, right?"

Laughing, excepting her tease with good grace, he responded, "Well, nothing Vince McMahon worthy. Not yet, anyway." He paused then continued more thoughtfully. "Actually, it's okay so far, as far as that goes," he admitted. "It helps we're hardly around each other, with me leaving early for work and all. Mostly I just see her when I'm at the Magic Box in the evenings. But she's usually doing inventory or helping Giles out with something, and I'm busy with the display cases. It's going okay, as well as can be expected..." He shrugged.

"But? I can hear it in your voice."

"But..." He turned and started to slowly walking again, Buffy stepping up to keep pace. "I mean, we were on okay terms after graduation, right?" She nodded her head in agreement. "At least we weren't going at it tooth and nail anymore, but we weren't really all that friendly either." He lapsed into silence as they continued to stroll.

Buffy waited for him to continue, knowing that sometimes waiting out his silences were often the best way to get him to go on. She guessed right.

"That first night, after we'd all met at the Magic Box, after we went shopping for food and supplies and stuff, we came back and we're fighting. I don't even remember why, just the usual, probably. And I kind of just spaced for a bit. The next thing I know she's in my face, giving me a look that could kill Superman from a thousand yards."

"Ah yes, the Cordelia Thousand Yard Glare. I know it too well."

"You and me both."

"But like you said, just business as usual for you two," Buffy commented, not sure where he was going with his narrative.

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose. The usual usual. Just..."

"Yes?"

Xander stopped abruptly, hands shoved deep into his pockets, eyes no longer scanning for danger but instead intently studying the ground in front of his feet. Buffy took a couple of more steps before she felt the lack of Xander's presence by her side. She turned around and came back to him, noticing the almost guilty apologetic expression on his face as he looked up at her approach, like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar,

"I almost..." he started, then winced with the admission, "kissed her."

"You what!" Buffy loudly gasped, not sure she heard right, causing him to cringe.

"Kissed her," he sheepishly admitted again.

"Really? Wow! I mean that's just so--" she then just laughed.

His voice rose and became excited and animated as he explained. "I mean, she was _this_ close," putting his hands up, palms almost together, showing just how close they had been. "And she smelled so-o-o nice! And, and..." he trailed off, eyes losing focus, losing himself in the memory. He recalled how her eyes had been flashing with anger. She in fact had been so close he could feel the breath, whistling through her nose, caressing across his lips. He could literally sense the heat radiating from her. He could count every perfect lash on her eyes. And instead of being angry right back--

He abruptly shook himself to break free of the vision, looking back down at Buffy. "I just wanted to kiss her," he concluded lamely.

"But you didn't, right? Or did you?" asked Buffy, still shaking with amusement.

"Oh no! No, no, no! Caught myself just in time. She'd have killed me, and I mean that in the sense of literal. I'm last year's trash as far as she's concerned," forgetting she had admitted he was a decent guy earlier that same day.

Buffy once again took his arm and they resumed their walk toward the newer mausoleum section of the cemetery. She looked up and saw the confusion twisting across Xander's face and felt the need to dole out a piece of her wisdom, as any good friend would.

"You know something, Xander? I still don't know what it was between you two. I'll probably never really understand it." She shook her head once, sharply, to cut off his protest, "But there was definitely a something. A good, special kind of something, not just hormones or lust. For the _both_ of you, " putting more than slight emphasis on the 'both'. "And that kind of thing doesn't just disappear, even after what you did with Willow. It's obvious you're still carrying a torch for her, right?" She looked up at him quizzically.

He ducked his head in reluctant admission, "Yeah, I guess."

"So don't be so certain how she feels about you." she sternly admonished him. "I'm just sayin'."

"Maybe," he replied, sounding very unconvinced. He had deserved Cordelia's wrath and contempt and most definitely not her or her forgiveness. "But I torpedoed that ship well and good. Blowed it all to hell."

_Ha!_ he thought, _there's the understatement of the century._ More like he nuked it to ash and scattered it to the four corners of the earth. As much as he once used to fantasize about how he and Cordy could somehow be together again, how some way he could get her to forgive him and take him back, he knew it could never be more than just that: a fantasy.

One he'd had to bury and let go of. While he fully understood the necessity, he was still learning to live with it. It had gotten easier with the passing months, especially having had Anya around. But apparently not as much as he had believed. Seeing Cordelia again brought the raging guilt and pain and--he admitted to himself in a bout of honesty--desire, right back to the surface.

He exhaled deeply. He could accept that he had a lot of personal life lessons to learn, and that they would often be painful, but why did they have to hurt someone else as well?

"Yeah, you did. And you're probably right. But, well, you just never know with us women." She paused and looked at him meaningfully to see he got the message. "So now what?"

"I'll make it through. Keep a different schedule. Try not to antagonize her too much--" catching the Buffy's look he hastily corrected himself with a smile, "--or at least less than I usually do."

He paused, again looking around for signs of vampire activity, before asking his next question. "Since we're on the subject of Cordy anyway, what did she tell you that got you all upset last weekend?"

"She had a personal message for me."

Buffy's expression had instantly clouded and he recognized some of her defensive signs. He was used to the mercurial nature conversations with her could ofttimes be and was not dissuaded by her sudden coolness. He would tread lightly, but tread forth he would.

"What was it about? If you're willing to tell." Buffy shrugged and wouldn't look his way. She hadn't expected the conversation to turn this way. Even though she knew she would have to eventually share this with Xander and everyone else, it was too close to home right now. She still needed more time to think about it before she went all Oprah-y. "Family matters. I'd really rather not talk about it yet."

He replied with a simple "Okay," and immediately dropped that line of conversation. Rolling his shoulders, Xander asked, "And now segueing to another significant other, where's Riley tonight? I'm really glad we had this time together, you and me, but don't you guys usually patrol together?"

"I gave him the night off. It's been a slow week and well...it's been...umm, slow." Again Buffy shrugged.

It seemed to him this must be her night for dispassionately keeping things to herself. However this time it involved two people he cared about and not one, and also a developing situation he'd been observing for a couple of weeks now. He decided to take a solid--but subtle!--shot at knocking down this particular emotional wall.

"He's a big boy, Buff. He can take care of himself as well as the next guy. Better, in fact, than anyone. Except you of course."

"Even still. I'm beginning to worry when he's out here. It's my job, not his. He's beginning to take more risks. He could get hurt."

_Fuck subtle_, he decided. "Are things alright between you?"

"Sure. Why would you ask?" she replied, looking straight ahead, face stony.

"Just want to make sure my favorite tag-team is still a happy tag-team."

"Still happy, Xander."

As they walked on, Xander was very aware of many things unsaid, but one look at her told him this wasn't the time or place to push too hard. He decided to bail out after all. He could bide his time, keep an eye on things until he got full disclosure and could finally do something for his friends.

"Well," he said, taking one more sweeping look-see, "it is pretty dull around here, and Cordy's probably safely asleep by now. Guess I'll head on back after all. Coming with?"

She looked around as well, thought about going back to the essay that was due next week, on the relevance of pop-culture references in modern literature, which needed a ton more work, and choose the lessor of two evils. "I want to do one more sweep. Try out a few tricks I thought of."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, Buff." Xander waved and headed off.

---

The sawdust made a light brown cascading waterfall effect as the red oak flecks whipped out of the blade housing and floated gracefully to the floor. Xander eased the circular saw completely through the board with a satisfied grunt before letting the shrieking saw wind down. He took the board over to the bookcase's carcass and checked it's fit. Humming to himself he returned to resume the work of marking and cutting the rest of the shelves.

In the back corner by a display case Xander had finished days before, Tara and Cordelia were stocking the latest shipment of herbs, roots, mosses and other organic whatnot used in many of the simpler novice spells. Tara chatted on about the kinds of spells and enchantments each of the items were good for, Cordelia dutifully paying attention. Cordelia had developed a real fondness for the shy girl and her odd humor, and quickly discovered that once over her initial reticence the witch could not be shut up.

Cordelia gently broke off Tara's exposition on the uses of sage, thyme and other Simon & Garfunkely substances, and casually strolled over to inspect the shelves Xander was working on, ready to call him on any imperfections. They had an upcoming grand opening to prepare for and she knew better than anyone how important image and first impressions could be. It simply would not do to have low-quality workmanship exposed for a customer to see.

"Wow! As hard as it is for me to admit," she said, running her hand over the work in progress and looking around at the other cases Xander had already finished, "I have to say I'm impressed. You're actually good at something besides extreme lameness."

Xander glanced up at her and smiled disarmingly, gracefully accepting her sixty-five percent complement. He was in too good a mental place now to let the other thirty-five get to him. "It took awhile, but once I figured out you're supposed to measure _before_ you cut, things have gone so much smoother." He brushed off the shelf and set it next to the other pieces waiting for final trim, fit and finish.

Xander set up the next board to be cut, running his hands lovingly over the beautifully figured oak, feeling the texture of the grain, inhaling the earthy fragrance of the wood.

He knew his friends believed he had just fallen into carpentry by accident and happenstance, continuing merely because it paid reasonably well and he had nothing else to do. But in fact he enjoyed it immensely, deriving great pleasure and satisfaction from the work.

Of course the world save-age part of his life was far more important in the grand scheme of things. But when he thought about it in a certain way, he understood it was no more than a war writ weird and, necessary and even sometimes noble goals not withstanding, war is destruction. Dust a vamp here, slaughter a demon there, smash an evil icon, or some such thing.

However in his day job he was creating, building for the future, with his own hands forming something new and tangible and useful, occasionally even beautiful. He was making houses that families could grow up in and call home, constructing buildings wherein people could earn their livelihood. He was crafting furniture that with proper care would last for many decades. He treasured feeling that quiet sense of satisfaction when a job was well done. He could look back at whatever he and his crew had finished and say: "I helped create that!" It was his own deep and special secret that he kept close to his chest.

It was during these musings that his two best friends burst into the shop. Buffy was mid-rant while Willow, eyes glazed, nodded her head at the appropriate moments.

"--ust as I'm about to stake the first vamp, Riley comes flying in and starts tossing him all over the place like he was a handball. And then get this. Another vamp comes from behind the crypt and gets the drop on me. So I'm regrouping and--you'll just die when you hear this!--Spike jumps in and starts going toe to toe. With the other vamp. I mean, why do I even need to show up anymore?" she huffed finally.

She calmed down as she and Willow proceeded further into the shop and took a stool in front of the main sales counter, dropping their laden backpacks on top. "I told Spike he'd better not interfere anymore or he was going to become daisy food."

Looking over at the pair, Xander asked, "When was this?" He had been with Buffy last night and certainly didn't recall any action.

Buffy looked over her shoulder to answer, "Oh, it happened after you left, Xand. I guess you were just too intimidating and scared off all the vamps until you left."

"Yeah, that's me, Intimidating Guy!" Xander chortling, returning his attention to the measuring.

While Cordelia had been listening to the others blithely talk about Spike's presence, her expression changed from bored to surprised to upset, and she impatiently waved for them to stop the banter. "Spike?" she exclaimed, "You said Spike! Spike was there? What's Spike doing around here?"

"Mostly being very annoying," answered Xander offhandedly, throwing the comment over his shoulder as he marked the wood.

"Why isn't he being very dusted?" she asked Buffy point blank.

Xander straightened up and looked at Buffy, Buffy looked at Willow, who just looked at Tara, who in turn stared at Giles.

Shrugging, Giles took it upon himself to answer, "Well, he-he's been, err...chipped. By Riley's former organization. He can't bite or even hit a human anymore," he finished with a half-guilty sigh, taking his glasses off to wipe away some errant sawdust.

"Chipped?" Cordelia didn't understand.

"Yeah," said Xander, turning toward her to explain, "It's sort of like an electric fence for vampires. Gives him a whopping brain freeze anytime he tries to hurt someone. It's actually pretty funny when it happens, the way his face gets all squoshed up." Xander twisted his features into the best imitation of Spike's rictus he could manage, to show how it looked. "And he starts making this whimpering noise, and--" He stopped his babbling when he noticed Cordelia's glare. "Oh, so long story short, he's given up on that. He can only hurt other demons."

"He's even--", began Willow, who stuttered out the rest of her reply when Cordelia redirected her glare, "he's helped us out. A couple of times."

More than a little confused, Cordelia asked, "He's good now? Like Angel?"

"Well, no-o-o-o, not exactly. He's still evil. Technically. I guess?" answered Buffy, looking at Giles for reassurance, who did so with a quick nod of his head.

Cordelia was very skeptical. "Uh huh. And if this chip," she continued, making sarcastic air-quotes with her fingers, "ever stops working, or the battery runs out, then what? He'll still play nice with the people?"

"Err, no, probably not." Giles reluctantly admitted, and mentally kicked himself for not getting more details about how the chip worked and how long it would last.

Cordelia turned again to Buffy. "So why not stake him? You slayer, he vampire. It's in the instruction manual, right?"

"It's a little more complicated than that, Cordelia," this time Willow answering.

"Complicated!" she exploded. "What's complicated!"

"It just is. Trust me."

Cordelia rounded back on Buffy. "It's not you I need to trust. It's him! And--duh!--I don't. What's wrong with you morons?" she demanded angrily, addressing the entire gang present. "I thought you were evil-fighters. What? Now it's only if the big bad has a fair chance to fight back? This isn't a game! There's no virtue in good-sportsmanship for this fight!"

"But he can't hurt anybody! Not anymore," protested Willow.

"But he will someday, right?" she demanded.

"Well..." Willow wavered.

Cordelia raised her eyebrow, waiting for Willow to finish her answer. When she didn't she asked again, "How long can he live, huh?"

Giles provided the answer everyone already knew, "Err, ah, indefinitely."

"Yeah," she nodded her head, pointing at Giles, "And how long is that chip going to keep on working?"

Everyone either stared at each other with more stupid sheepish expressions or just stared at the ground. Giles reluctantly answered that as well, "Riley could probably answer better than I, but I would suspect...um, _not_ indefinitely."

"Well?" prompted Cordelia, looking around at all of them expectantly, very much like a teacher addressing a particularly obtuse group of students. She looked around at each of them again, none of them meeting her eyes. Exasperated, she threw up her hands in disgust. "He gets anywhere near me and I'll stake him myself!" She stalked off, heels clicking sharply, to resume her inventorying.

The rest of the gang looked down at their feet, or around the shop, no-one saying anything. Finally Xander spoke up, "She's, ah, y'know, she's got a point."

"We're so not going there!" ground out Buffy, who then stormed off in the opposite direction as Cordelia, and out the door.

Xander shrugged at the rest of the gang before resuming his work. He was definitely not looking forward to facing the wrath of Cordy that night, nosiree, and desperately thought of some new plan for the evening. Perhaps go play darts at the Bronze or shoot hoops with Riley at the gym if Riley would spot him 10 points.

---

The next evening should have have found Giles in a generally upbeat mood. His meeting earlier that day with the bank's loan officer had gone very well indeed, and it surprised him how excited he was about the store's opening. It was hardly becoming of someone of his scholarly nature.

But his mood was tempered by several issues. The first was the unpleasantness of the previous day's quarrel. He tried to put it to the back of his mind, but the accusing looks Cordelia directed at him still irked. Mostly because he knew she was right and he should have done something more proactive concerning Spike.

The other more important issue was the news that Joyce had had to be taken to the hospital that morning after collapsing at home.

Seeing Buffy burst through the door he called out. "Hello, Buffy! What's the news on your mother. How is she? What did the doctor have to say?"

"She's fine. The doctor said she'll be okay, just to get some rest. And he prescribed some medication," she quickly answered his questions. "It's Riley I'm worried about!"

"Riley? Whatever for?" Giles asked, taken aback at the unexpected turn.

"He's got tach-tach-, um, something like, tacky cards? Something sticky sounding. It's his heart, Giles! There's something wrong with his heart! He's got a sticky heart! He disappeared after I took my mom home. I haven't seen him since." She looked around at the other Scoobies. "Has anybody seen him since this morning?"

Xander was the first to answer. "Last I saw was this afternoon. He was playing hoops in the park across from the site. What's going on, Buff?"

Buffy wheeled on him, hair flying. "How did he seem?" she anxiously demanded.

Xander was perturbed by her obvious nervousness and anxiety. He had rarely seen Buffy this upset and off balance. He was therefore careful with his answer. "Okay, I guess. I only caught a few glimpses during my break. It looked like he was playing a pretty intense game, though. They were still playing when I had to get back to work."

Nodding her head impatiently, Buffy forced herself to settle down, taking a seat by the counter. "I ran into Graham just a little while ago. He told me there could be a problem. That he's still messed up from all those drugs the Initiative gave him. He said Riley slugged him after the game. I looked for him all over. He's not at his apartment, he's not at the gym, he's not at the library." Her self-control slipped another notch, wringing her hands together. "He's gone somewhere where he doesn't wanna be found," she said despairingly.

Cordelia, still annoyed by the lack of response to her concerns over Spike, and even though she didn't harbor any actual ill will toward Riley, snipped, "So Mr. Potato-head has just gone to ground?"

"Cordelia!" exclaimed Giles. He could often appreciate the forthright honesty that went hand in hand with her lack of tact, but sometimes she could be just plain tactless.

Buffy was too worried to do more than shoot her an annoyed look before falling back and admitting her concern, "Basically."

"Poor Buffy," sympathized Willow, moving over to her friend to give her a hug.

"Maybe he just needs some time alone. Deal with it on his own." speculated Xander.

Cordelia snorted, "Right, your typical John Wayne 'I'm so tough I can handle anything by myself, pilgrim' macho bullshit."

"You guys, enough!" cried Buffy. "Riley is in real danger here. We've got to find him!" She jumped up and began pacing back and forth, ordering her thoughts, resolved to figure out a plan. Okay, nothing happened until they found him, so that had to be step one, she figured. "Cordy, Xander, why don't you guys check the docks."

"Uh, cause it's smelly and dangerous down there? And Giles, don't you need me here for anything?"

Giles looked innocently about. "No no, we're done for the day."

Xander shrugged his shoulders at Buffy, as if to make amends for Cordelia's seeming lack of concern, and got up. "Come on, sweetheart, we'll stop by the Army surplus store and buy you a gas mask. I hear camo-pink is in this year." He turned to Buffy and snapped off a lazy salute. "We'll call you if we find anything," he said reassuringly.

Cordelia, reluctance showing in every step, followed Xander out the door.

With one assignment taken care of, Buffy turned to the witches. "Willow, Tara, can you guys check out the high-school? He hid out there once before, and maybe he'll do it again. Giles, you look around the center of town, but stay near the shop in case he comes here. I've got one more lead to check on, and then I'm going to look in the caves."

Giles nodded.

"Well?" Buffy snapped, clapping her hands. "Let's get a move on!" Everybody jumped to get their jackets or sweaters and hurried out the door.

---

She had enjoyed slapping Spike around, playing on his greed to get him to help out, and also finding an outlet for some of her frustration. But now Cordelia's comments regarding Spike's inherent nature were beginning to nag at her. Maybe she should stop relying so often on Spike, she thought. She promised herself that, although still very reluctant to dust him, she would no longer include him in anymore Scooby plans. Just as soon as they got past this current crisis.

Shaking off her worries, Buffy flicked on the flashlight and entered the caves. "Riley!" she began calling out. Not hearing a reply she crept further in and repeated her call, the echos bouncing from the damp walls almost deafening. She paused for a moment to listen to their fading answer while directing the beam of light into the far corners of the cave. After the sound died away she heard nothing more but the faint plop, plop of water dripping into shallow pools.

Buffy continued her search deeper into the caves, hoping that maybe Xander or Willow had found him. "_Riley!_" she yelled again. "Answer me! Please." A thousand empty echos mocked her desperation.

--

The sailors, longshoremen and other roughnecks leaving and entering "Tommy's" could hear the bickering couple from over a block away. Cordelia primly stayed well away from the piles of refuse and garbage as she peered into the alleys with Xander. She kept up a running monologue of bitter complaints about the smell, the effects the cool salty air was having on her hair and complexion, and the perils of volunteering too quickly for thankless unpleasant tasks.

Xander tuned her out as they prowled in and out of the alleys of the warehouse district on their way closer to the docks, calling out Riley's name.

"Why did I agree to do this?" she demanded as they emerged from the last alley. Xander answered without turning his head toward her. "Because of your good and generous nature."

"Next time try and say that without the irony."

"Next time try and be good and generous."

Just up ahead, Tommy's was the next place to check. As they approached the seedy-looking bar they eyed it dubiously, Cordelia more so than Xander.

"Alright, let's check it out," Xander said with a resigned shrug and not a little trepidation. Paradoxically, he knew Willy's was probably safer than this place, for here the reputation of the slayer did not precede them. Someone here might not have any hesitation getting rough with a newcomer.

Cordelia, extremely unhappy with the idea of going inside, held back. "I don't think it's a good idea. It looks dirtier in there than it does out here." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Xander, tense, snapped at her. "Then wait. Go lean against that lamppost and file your nails or something. Say hi to the cars passing by."

"I should file your head in the circular file!"

After looking around nervously, he turned to face her directly. "Look, we go in, check real quick, and we're gone. Two minutes, tops."

She stared at him with angry eyes, bit back a retort, grabbed his arm and pulled him through.

The smell of sweat, stale beer, cigarette smoke, all mixed with the patina of vomit, assaulted them as they stepped through. The odor was overpowering in its intensity, a nearly impenetrable physical barrier that caused them to halt in their tracks. The noise level died abruptly as every head swiveled toward them and Cordelia heard Xander gulp audibly.

Xander, still in his work clothes, a rough cotton shirt, dirty and faded jeans, and work boots, didn't look terribly out of place. But Cordelia, wearing an almost designer dress, was like a rose in a pig sty. Realizing that virtually all the ogling leers, even from some of the women, were directed at her she unconsciously moved closer to Xander, clinging tightly to his arm.

"Just stay close, act like a hooker--not too tough for you, right?--and I'm your trick, and they'll probably leave you alone. Maybe."

Scanning the room from near the entrance they did not see Riley anywhere.

"You are going to die for this, Alexander LaVelle Harris! I swear!" she growled through clenched teeth.

_You can do this, Cordy_, she thought. _You wanted to be a goddamn actress, now's the time to act!_

Forcefully tamping down her fear, Cordelia drew herself to her full height and arrogant posture, unveiling her most haughty and derisive expression. The denizens of Tommy's witnessed first-hand the Queen C at the top of her form, as she mete out contemptuous disdain on the rabble. Eyes suddenly turned away wherever she directed her intense piercing glare.

Xander donned his best tough-guy mask, hunkered down, and moved forward to the bar, praying Cordelia would have the sense to stay with him.

Arriving at the rail, he slapped his hand down hard to get the bartender's attention. "You see a guy in here today, tall like a basketball player, probably alone, maybe acting a little crazy?"

The beefy, ham-fisted bartender gave Xander a flicker of a once-over and was about to ignore him as not worth the effort of even a dismissive grunt. Xander leaned over and tugged on his sleeve, quickly letting go when the bartender's eyes slitted dangerously.

"Work with me, pal. I need to impress the lady!" Xander whispered desperately.

The bartender leaned sideways to get a better look at Cordelia. Leaning back he gave his professional assessment. "Nice piece ya' got there. She go a coupla' C's an hour? More?"

Two tramp freighters were in that day, the place was packed and jumping, the booze flowing, and they'd had some raucous good fun earlier. And, since he was feeling so charitable and willing to do his good deed for the year, he decided to play along with the kid and see what he had. "Okay kid. For the lady..." he whispered.

He stood straight and spoke more loudly, loud enough Cordelia could hear the cheesy film-noirish answer.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Xander, instantly familiar with this game from too many hours watching bad pot-boiler detective movies, produced two Jacksons and slapped them on the sticky bar.

The bartender sniffed disdainfully but took the money just the same. "Yeah, Some kinda soldier-boy, real tall, got into a fight about half an hour ago. Broke some noses--damn strong. Took four of us to stomp him down and kick his ass out."

"Which way did he go?"

The bartender elaborately furrowed his brow and ran a massive hairy paw along his chin, slowly and theatrically, pondering the simple question. "Wa'll lessee," he drawled, "I don't think I rightly remem--"

Xander grimaced and slapped another twenty on the bar. "You've been watchin' too many movies, mister," he grumbled under his breath, thinking they probably were the same ones he watched.

The bartender smirked and greedily pocketed Xander's money. "That way," pointing in the direction down toward the south end of the docks.

As soon as they exited Tommy's, Cordelia broke apart from Xander and punched him. "What the hell was that all about! I still got pinched like a zillion times," she complained, rubbing her rear to soften the bruises she would be getting.

"The sacrifices we make for the cause. Your precious ass will recover, my wallet won't. I'm out sixty bucks!" Though all in all he was actually pleased. They'd emerged without any real trouble and they'd gotten two useful bits of information. Both that Riley had been in the area and that he was probably not far.

They headed in the direction indicated by the bartender, past the last rusty warehouse adjacent to the water. Skirting one of the mobile cranes at the edge of the wharf they heard a rhythmic thumping noise. Xander held Cordelia behind him as he continued forward around the base of the massive machine.

He spotted Riley punching the solid steel of the crane over and over again. Riley didn't even look up or acknowledge their presence as they hurried over.

"This doesn't even hurt," Riley listlessly commented in between punches, the steel making a dull ringing sound with each hit. Xander winced when he noticed a wet, red smear on the metal.

"You're bleeding, Riley."

"Don't feel a goddamn thing."

Xander stepped in front of him and deflected his arm before the fist decorated the uncaring steel with even more blood.

"Riley, we need to get you to the doctor. _Now_."

Riley looked up at Xander suspiciously. "The one from the government you mean? Like the ones who did this to me in the first place?" He waved his bloody hand to indicate he wanted no part of that idea, and began to back up.

Xander started to follow, but carefully so that he didn't spook Riley into running. "He's the only one that can help." Riley began to turn away, causing Xander to call out desperately, "Riley! Look, this is going to get worse if you don't come."

Riley stopped and whipped back around to face Xander and Cordelia, practically snarling, the first sign of real emotion from him. "There's nothing getting worse! It's only getting better. Don't you get that? I'm more powerful than I've ever been! Most people would kill to feel this way."

Cordelia, not really knowing Riley at all, let Xander handle the argument and silently watched the exchange between the two males, ready to step in with the vexing voice of honesty whenever necessary. She was mildly amused and even slightly impressed that Xander was willing to play that card himself.

"That feeling is _going_ to kill you. You're not a slayer."

Testy, Riley replied, "Right, I'm just some ordinary schmuck."

Xander's face twisted briefly, mindful of the epithet Cordelia had once bestowed upon him. Despite recent new-found confidence, and that he was usually able to accept his ordinariness with a certain quiet aplomb, the reminder still rankled.

"Would you rather be dead?" Xander rejoined, successfully keeping an edge out of his voice.

"I can handle it. This is my deal, just...back off." This time Riley tried to walk past Xander, who reached out and hooked his arm, spinning the taller man about and ducking the expected right hook.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Xander demanded, more gently than the situation probably deserved.

Perhaps the note of concern in Xander's voice or the look of sincere worry finally reached something inside him. Riley stopped to explain. "I go back. Let them mess with me again. Best case? They turn me into Joe Normal. Just another guy."

"There's nothing wrong with that. We're all ordinary Joes here." The tall man's eyes flicked significantly to Cordelia and back, a motion not unnoticed by Xander. Xander rolled his eyes and appended the qualifier, "Okay, and Josephina's, too." He gave Cordelia a look and shook his head slightly to tell her to remain quiet. "But we still do our part. You don't need to be some kind of over-juiced super-hero to help out."

In a quick aside to Cordelia he handed over his cell phone and keys and quietly asked her to call Buffy and get the car. In the meanwhile he would continue to deal with Riley, to try and keep him from running, to hopefully convince him to come along.

Riley's emotions were anything but stable. One moment he was super confident, the next he was in the throes of despair. "It's not enough," he pleaded, "It's not enough for Buffy."

"Why would you say that?"

Riley looked up straight at Xander. "Come on. Her last boyfriend wasn't exactly a civilian."

"Right. Listen pal, Lord of the Brood caused nothing but pain for her. And the rest of us I might add. Not someone you want to be emulating. She needs normal, Riley."

"It's not good enough!"

"So you're going to let yourself die all over some pissing contest with Angel? Look Riley, she doesn't compare you to Angel so don't you."

Riley shook his head, still doubting, still not believing Xander's words no matter how much he wanted to. "It's not about him. It's about us. Buffy and me. She's getting stronger every day. More powerful. I can't touch her, Xander. Every day she's, she's...a little further out of reach."

"No, Riley, she's not getting further away. She's right there where you can get to her."

"For now, maybe. Tomorrow..."

"What? You figure she's gonna bail on you because you're not in the super club? You need to listen to me, Riley. She needs you. She cares about you. And you were wrong before. I think she does love you. Do you think she spent the last year with you because you had super powers?""

"It's just human nat--"

"Fuck the pop-psych!" Xander angrily cut him off. "I don't care what your fancy books and your fancy theories tell you. I _know_ Buffy. Yeah, sure, she can shut down. She can be cold and distant. She can even try to push away the people that care the most. And _that's_ when you need to be there! Be ready when the crash happens. 'Cause as strong as she is, as strong as she thinks she is, she can't go it alone. It will happen. And she's going to need you, and deep down she knows it."

Riley stood silently, swaying slightly.

"She needs you," Xander repeated softly, "alive and healthy."

The surge of illusory power that had been flowing through Riley only scant moments before, keeping him hyped on false energy, suddenly vanished, leaving him chilled, empty and breathless. He began desperately heaving in huge gulps of air as sharp agony radiated from his chest. He stumbled forward. Xander caught his friend easily, holding him up.

"Besides," Xander said gently, "who else is gonna let me win at Horse."

Riley couldn't help but chuckle despite the pain. Between wheezes Riley finally agreed, "Okay, I'll-I'll go."

They looked up at the glare of oncoming headlights, seeing that Cordelia had brought the car. She got out and helped Xander bring Riley back to the car, Xander giving her an open and sincere smile of gratitude.

---

Buffy nervously paced the sidewalk in front of Sunnydale General Hospital. She stopped when she heard, then saw, Xander's car, driven rather recklessly by Cordelia, squeal around the corner. It screeched to a halt amid a cloud of burnt rubber before the emergency room entrance. She peered into the car but could not see her boyfriend. When Xander and Cordelia jumped out she yelled at them, "Where is he?"

"In back," replied Xander as he hastily opened the back door and lifted up Riley, who had been lying on the seat cushion. Buffy rushed over to his other side, draping his arm over her shoulders. Together Xander and Buffy walked Riley into the hospital and toward the bank of elevators, closely followed by Cordelia.

They rode to the fourth floor and half dragged-half carried Riley toward the room where Graham had told her to bring Riley. Approaching the doors, Buffy looked wildly around for Graham but didn't see him. They burst through to find a room strewn with wreckage and an unconscious Graham lying on the floor.

Riley, recovered somewhat from the last bout of searing pain, pushed Buffy over to Graham.

She slapped Graham on the face none too gently. Groaning, his eyelids fluttered open and he peered about, unable to focus. "Graham! Graham!" Buffy shook him. Groaning softly he looked vaguely in the direction of her voice, eyes still glazed. "What happened, Graham? Tell me! What happened!"

"Seven-" he uttered before choking up on some phlegm. His eyes started to slide close again.

"Seven? Seven what? The seven dwarfs attacked?" yelled Buffy, her voice raising to a screech. "You want Seven-Up? You're in love with Seven-of-Nine? What! What!" Buffy started shaking him more strongly.

Xander slid out from under Riley's arm, motioning Cordelia to take his place. "Hey Buff!" He rushed forward to push Buffy away. "Stop it! Take it easy!" When he was sure Buffy would stay back, he returned his attention to Graham. He gripped the man's shoulder and squeezed gently, "Graham, what's up, man. You got to pull it together, soldier. What happened here?"

Graham opened his eyes again, bleary.

"Seventeen" he gasped out, specks of spittle flying, "Hos-hostile...seventeen."

Xander looked back at Buffy in confusion, but Riley had heard him and answered their question. "He means Spike. Spike did this!"

"Damn!" exclaimed Buffy, standing up. She cast a quick glance at Cordelia. "Don't you dare say it!" Whipping her head about, she ranted, "His number is up! For real this time." She stalked off. The others could hear her muttering, "When I get my hands on Spike, I'm gonna rip his head off, I'm gonna..."

Cordelia, under her breath, snarked, "It's about time." But not quiet enough that Xander didn't hear her.

"Save the I-told-you-so's for later, Cordy. Let's find the doctor first." Helping Riley along, they followed after Buffy.

---

"Y'know doc, I _am_ a bit peckish after all," Spike cheerfully informed Dr. Overheiser. "Could do with a bit of a snack before supper."

Overheiser's eyes bugged out and he backed away from the advancing vampire. He bumped into a table and was unable to retreat any further. The fear welled up in him as his knees sagged and his bowels threatened to loosen. Even knowing he'd put one over on Spike and his companion, the blond vampire was still a menacing, frightening presence. He didn't know the possible side effects of digging through the vamp's brain and it might be capable of hurting someone after all.

Spike chuckled to himself as he leaned in to bite the doctor's neck. He was going to have some fun tonight, chowing down on Sunnydale's population! Starting with the gaggle of slayer groupies he had endured for nearly a year now. Oh it would be such fun! To drain each and every one of those insipid bags of blood. He couldn't wait to get a taste of the redhead, her skin so pale and creamy, the hot blood pulsing beneath the surface of her beautiful neck. He predicted she would make a sweet mewling sound as the life drained from her.

Spike's head whipped around when the doors crashed open behind him. "Well, speak of the devil!"

Xander and Cordelia immediately spread out to either side of Buffy to make sure there was no way out for Spike and Harmony, and also to cover each other when the arrows started flying. Riley held back behind Buffy, curled around himself, using the wall to help keep standing.

"Spike!"

"Slayer!" He looked around at the people clustered behind Buffy. "And her little dog, too. And look, it's Major Moron. You really should make sure he's eating his Wheaties, Buffy, he looks a mite peaked from his calisthenics." He glanced to the other side of Buffy. "Why, if it ain't the Barbie Doll and her big pom poms. Come to rah rah as I kill the slayer? By the way, how's that Nancy-boy boss of yours?"

"Last I heard, he was making an unleaded flambe of Dear Ole Dru," Cordelia replied easily.

Spike's arrogant demeanor faltered for a moment but he soon recovered. "Well, I mustn't tarry, I'll deal with you right after my appointment with the good doctor here."

Cordelia noticed Harmony standing over to one side holding a small crossbow. "Harmony," she sneered, "Doing the European trip on two cents a day, I see. I'd heard you'd been turned, but even as a vampire I never thought you'd step as low as this Euro-trash."

"You'd know all about stepping down, wouldn't you, dearie?" retorted Harmony, looking at Xander the whole time.

"Hey!" yipped Xander.

Buffy jumped in to the verbal fray. "This is it, Spike! You're going down."

"Oh, very clever, luv. I'm not going to get one of your world famous puns?" Spike melodramatically put his hands over his heart. "I feel so left out, so deprived."

"Shoulda finished you off years ago!"

"Just too in lust with my hot body, I expect," Spike preened. Turning slightly toward Harmony, he said, "Dress up, Harm, it's time for dinner, and I'm buyin'."

Harmony squealed with idiotic delight, "Oh, Spikey, we're going to The Meowing Owl! Oh, that's so wonderful! They've got this unbelievable chocolate and cream layered desert, soaked in brandy. It's to die for!"

"You're already dead, ya' dumb bint! And no, dinner's _here_." tilting his head toward the humans opposite.

She looked over and made a disgusted face before whining, "Then you'll take me to The Meowing Owl for after-dinner drinks?"

"Arrggh! Yes, Harm, I'll take you to the bloody annoying bird for drinks later."

Smiling beatifically, satisfied, she immediately went into vamp face, producing a scrunching-scraping noise as her facial bones and teeth realigned themselves. A nether-worldly guttural growl emanated from deep within as she reset her grip on the crossbow, ready for the kill.

_Sproing!_

Riley gasped, hands flashing down to the vibrating bolt embedded in his upper thigh. The new pain in combination with another wave of sheeting agony caused him to topple against a wheeled tray of instruments, overturning it, the implements clattering every which way across the floor. He dropped in a writhing heap to the floor.

Harmony looked down at her empty crossbow in confusion. "Oops?"

"Riley!" exclaimed Buffy, starting in his direction. She stopped when he looked up and weakly waved her back. "I'm-I'm okay...Buffy," he hoarsely gasped . "Just take care of..." and he waved at the two vamps. Buffy could see he was most obviously _not_ okay, but ignoring Spike and Harmony was not going to do any good for Riley if the doctor got hurt, so she returned her attention back to them

Now also vamped for action, with a sneering smirk showing off his elongated fangs, Spike confidently strode toward the waiting slayer. He gloried in the certainty of his renewed power and abilities, and he was looking forward to earning his hat-trick. The pent up frustration drove him to do as much bloody damage to her as possible.

Just before he was in striking distance, Buffy leaped forward and unleashed a blinding series of fists, elbows, knees and feet at him, driving him back. He was able to block and dodge most of the attacks but was put off-balance and couldn't counter.

"Harmony, you wanna do another slap dance for me?" taunted Xander, waving a stake at her.

"Don't even blink, loser, or you'll miss me as I suck you dry!" She threw the now useless cross-bow at Xander, who stepped aside to dodge the object, and he tripped on the fallen table. Ignoring Cordelia, the vampire jumped toward him to take advantage. Cordelia quickly stepped across, took out a vial of holy water from her pocket and smashed it against the side of Harmony's face, causing her to stumble back in pain, grasping at her seared face.

Pushing off, Spike finally cleared space between himself and Buffy, ready to take the offensive as he snatched up a surgical tray to block a punch. Buffy clutched her fist in pain, howling. Spike saw his opportunity and went to strike her. His mind exploded a split second after his fist connected with her stomach, lightening bolts of pain flashing out from just behind his eyes, lancing dagger's of torment throughout his head and into his body. He shrieked and staggered away.

Spike stumbled backward, the pain diminished only slightly, vision eclipsed by gauzy curtains of fire. He slipped on some of the loose instruments scattered on the floor and fell heavily against the wall near Dr. Overheiser. Through slitted eyes he grimaced accusingly at the doctor, who merely shrugged, perhaps with a small hint of a smirk. Spike desisted from attacking him for fear of more pain.

Meanwhile, distracted by the burning pain tearing through her face, Harmony did not see Xander rise up and set himself to punch her, sending her spinning across the room to crash into the wall not far from Spike. Seeing Spike down and barely moving, Harmony decided that running as far and as fast as she could was the only part of valor she was interested in, and took off toward the room's door. She frantically dodged away from Xander and shoved Cordelia aside, who went sprawling to the floor.

Xander was about to give chase but quickly realized he would never be able to catch the fleeing vampire and so he turned back to help. He spotted Cordelia getting up painfully, grumbling, "I'm going to stake that melanin deprived bitch if it's the last thing I do." She angrily shook off Xander's attempts to aid her, snatched the stake from him and started toward the door. She scowled bitterly, seeing that Harmony was nowhere in sight. "Damn!"

Spike understood he'd been tricked by the doctor and that he was virtually defenseless, and he had no intention of hanging around anymore. He snarled at the oncoming Buffy, jumped to his feet and ran toward the door. Keeping an eye on the slayer he didn't see Xander step in front of him and they crashed together, legs and arms tangled. Now without a stake, Xander tried to keep him tied up, not let him get away like Harmony had, and give Buffy the chance to get to him.

While they twisted and writhed, Cordelia, still fuming after the long-departed Harmony, heard the commotion behind her. Seeing Spike's exposed back while he struggled to extricate himself from the boy, she acted. "You'll do!" she said, raised the stake and punched it into Spike's back. Only a moment passed before Xander found himself trying to grapple a cloud of dust and he awkwardly stumbled and fell.

Rushing to aid them, Buffy pulled up in sudden shock. "You..you..you.." Buffy stammered and waved her hands at the dust that was still settling. She was shocked by the events that just transpired before her eyes. "You killed him!"

"Ding dong?" sang Xander from down on the floor, Spike sprinkled all over him.

"How could you do that! The chip was working! It still worked! He couldn't hurt anybody."

"Maybe he just needed killin'?" Xander moaned as he struggled to get up.

Cordelia just stared at Buffy, shaking her head. "Pfft!" She turned to help Xander off the floor, whisking away at the dust. "Maybe you should look after someone with a beating heart, huh?" casting her eyes at Riley's huddled form.

Buffy ran over to her boyfriend and held him protectively. She called out over her shoulder to Dr. Overheiser, "Help, doctor! You've got to help him!"

The doctor was just now getting up but was having trouble maintaining himself upright on still shaky legs. He surveyed the ruin and started to complain, "This isn't the right place, I don't have the equip--"

"I, I think it's...now..." Riley wheezed again, eyes clenching tight, curling around his left side as the waves of pain crashed down again, sweat breaking out all over. "...or never, doc." he croaked.

The doctor curtly nodded his head in agreement. He waved to have Riley brought over to the table and then he went into the adjacent room to scrub down. Buffy and Xander carried Riley over to the table. The doctor soon came back in and shooed them all outside to wait.

An hour later Dr. Overheiser came out to face the waiting group. "He's a very very lucky man. It's not pretty--we should have gotten him to the proper facilities--but it'll do. I also took care of the wounds to his leg and hand." He grimaced over the fact he'd been forced to work under such appalling conditions, with hardly the right equipment, but he'd done the job and was damn proud of it.

"He's going to alright?" Buffy inquired anxiously.

"A few days rest and recuperation," he reassured her, "and he should be as good as new. He was very lucky." He stepped aside to allow Buffy and the others into the room where they found Riley already sitting up. Bandages were wrapped around his hand, the upper left part of his chest and around his leg where the pants had been cut away. Before he could get off the table Buffy ran over and gave him a hug, which he weakly returned.

"Thank God, Riley, you're okay!"

"Well, actually, I think thank Xander--" he caught the raised eyebrow from Cordelia, "and Cordelia--is a little more accurate." More softly, so that only Buffy could hear, he added, "And thank you, Buffy."

She started to help button up his shirt and he gratefully let her as he stroked her hair. When she was done she leaned back and took his bruised hand in hers, pulling his hand to her heart.

"I'm still here for you, all touchable and everything."

"Give me a week or so to heal, and I'll take full advantage of that fact." He slid down off the table, standing on his own, a little wobbly.

Buffy smiled, still holding his hand. She looked around at the other two and back up at Riley, then sighed, a different king of worried expression replacing the relieved look she'd just had. "Are you gonna be okay? 'Cause I really should get back and check on my mom. Xander can help you get back, okay?"

Riley looked down into her eyes, an unreadable expression flitting across his face. His hands tightened on hers briefly before he let go, answering in an even tone, "Yeah. Yeah, go ahead. I'll be fine."

"I'll talk to you later." She leaned up and kissed him softly, then quickly turned away. "Cordy, can you give me a ride home?"

"But, umm, what about..." Cordelia dithered uncertainly, watching Xander as he went over to help Riley.

Having overheard Buffy's request Xander dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys and tossed them to Cordelia. "Go ahead, I'll call a cab." He smiled and nodded his head reassuringly.

Cordelia licked her lips and appeared to be about to say something, but Buffy's impatient fidgeting changed her mind. She turned to Buffy. "Let's go."

Riley watched Buffy leave, a wistful sigh escaping. Xander helped gather some of Riley's clothes and effects together and went to get his own jacket. The only normal Scoobies headed out in the footsteps of the two women, already long out of sight.

Leaning heavily on Xander for support, Riley looked sideways at his friend. "You said something about her needing me?"

"Cut her some slack. And just keep being there. Trust me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah"

On their way out of the vacant building, Xander called Sunnydale Taxi Service and gave the address. Once outside by the curb, Riley looked in the direction Buffy and Cordelia would have left. He turned to Xander and asked, "How do you do it? How do you deal with being the ordinary guy? Day after day. Being around Buffy. Or being around your friend there."

Xander threw a curious questioning look in the direction Riley had been looking. "You mean Cordy? She's as normal as they come. In a don't look at her cross-eyed or she'll make you feel lower than scum sort of way."

"She hasn't told you?"

"Told me? Told me what?"

"Maybe it's nothing. Nothing. Help me over to that bench, would you?"

"Whoa, hold it right there, pal! You don't start something like that and not finish it. Yeah, sure, Cordy and I have our issues, but I still care about her. And if there's something wrong I need to know about it. So spill, or we're walking home."

Riley knew he shouldn't have said anything, but it was too late now. And Xander was a good friend. Not to the point he and Forrest had once been, but nevertheless a good friend. Quick with a joke, faster with good advice, and always ready to help whenever he could. And Riley would trust him with his life if it came to that. And besides, Buffy hadn't sworn him to secrecy or anything.

"The visions she gets. Of the future."

"What are you talking about?" Xander looked very confused, as if Riley had just spoken Fyarl.

"Buffy said she's a seer. Gets visions of the future. That's how she helped out Angel."

"Ooohhh, that." Xander nodded his head knowingly but remained silent all the way back to Riley's apartment.

---

Early in the morning, shortly after Cordelia had collected Xander from Riley's, the faintest indigo glimmerings of dawn just starting to show in the eastern sky, they both tumbled into the apartment. Cordelia made it as far as the sofa before collapsing, Xander only as far as a kitchen chair.

Despite their physical exhaustion their minds were still reeling over the past night's events. Both of them knew they wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon no matter how tired they felt.

Hearing faint creaking from the chair Xander was sitting on, Cordelia pried open her lids, curious what he was doing. She saw him shifting in the chair while he regarded her with a strange contemplative look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, too tired to put even the smallest amount of annoyance in her voice.

He glanced away from her, squirmed as he reset himself. "You didn't tell me about the visions."

"Visions?" she asked, hoping he would be too tired to pursue that topic.

No such luck.

"You see the future or something."

"Buffy told you!" she accused.

"Something like that," he said evasively. "Is it true?"

For a moment she considered lying to him, realized it was futile, pointless in the long run and, most importantly, beneath her and demeaning to him. She sighed and settled back down against the prickly cushions.

"I sometimes get these images of... bad things that are about to happen. I was Angel's seer, I guess you could say. Before he went all poopy. That's how we knew where to find the evil and try and stop it." She shrugged as if that's all that needed to be explained, and allowed her eyes to close, shutting off her view.

He scratched his ear, regarding her intently, going over the events since she had so suddenly and unexpectedly arrived in Sunnydale. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. "You saw something, didn't you? Something bad that involves Buffy. That's why you're back, right?"

Eyes still closed she nodded her head, not at all surprised at his ability to swiftly reach an accurate conclusion from sketchy and limited evidence. She had always known--poor grades indicative otherwise--that he could put portent and omen together better than most, figure out what the prophecy really meant, and come up with some way to stop it.

"What was it?" This time his tone was more demanding than the preceding gently curious tones.

"It's about--", she stopped, thinking carefully through the possible consequences. If Buffy hadn't told the rest of the gang yet, then she must have her reasons. Cordelia knew she would disagree with those reasons, she being who she was and Buffy who she was, but this was personal enough that Cordelia wasn't going to overstep certain boundaries. "It's Buffy's decision. It's not for me to say."

Not yet, anyway. But if Buffy let this drag on much longer she might spill anyway.

"If it concerns us, any of us, then it _is_ for you to say! I need to know!"

Her temper suddenly flared. Of course he would think first about protecting his Buffy! She opened her eyes and glared at him. "What! So you can be the White Knight again? Race off to her rescue? Show what a brave and stalwart Sir Xander you are? It doesn't concern you, Xander. If Buffy wants to tell you, then fine, but you're not hearing it from me!" She closed her eyes again and allowed her head to fall back.

Clenching his jaw at her refusal and her accusations he tried to restrain himself from lashing out. He didn't agree with her but he was really too tired to get into a yelling match over it. That could wait till he'd gotten to the better side of a few hours sleep.

Taking several deep breathes, sucking in through his nose, he calmed down after a few moments and looked back at her. He could see she was just as tired, if not more so, then he was. He didn't know if it was a sign of his own growing maturity, or perhaps a response to the changes evident in her, but he allowed his anger to dissipate before speaking again.

He was curious about those changes. He genuinely wanted to know more about this woman, often exactly like he remembered, the good and the bad. And yet just as often so much more, all for the good. He next spoke gently and with frank curiosity. "What's it like being the modern Carnac the Magnificent?" he asked.

Responding to his change in attitude, she smiled ruefully. "It really sucks sometimes," she said.

He raised his eyebrows in silent question.

"They're gross and disgusting." She sighed deeply and shuddered. "And painful."

"Painful?"

"You ever been kicked in the head by a horse?"

"Thankfully no, I haven't had the pleasure. Though I'll bet a vampire's punch comes pretty close. That bad, huh?"

"No. It's more like getting kicked by an entire team of horses."

"Ouch!" he winced in genuine sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," she smiled.

"How do you deal with that?"

"But," not hearing him, she continued thoughtfully, "It's okay, too, in a way. I'm able to do some real good in the world. For awhile we were really helping people. Maybe not a whole lot all the time, but still, I made a difference."

"Yeah, I get that." He didn't add more, remaining silent.

A minute or two passed before she asked, "Why the quiet face?"

"Nothing. It's nothing" he answered, but refused to face her. Then he did look at her and with some forced cheer said, "Congratulations are in order, I suppose. It sounds like you've got something really important there."

"Yup. Really important, mind-shatteringly painful visions. A great gig. But it reads better than it lives." She stretched out, wearily clambered to her feet and went to her room. Xander assumed she was finally going to bed, but he himself wasn't ready yet. Clasping his hands together in front of him he made a small audible sigh and stared out the window as he considered his place in the world and his place in the Scooby Gang.

Minutes later, as she was on her way to wash up before going to sleep, she spotted him still sitting, chin in hand, staring out the windows.

"Okay, I've known you too long and, unfortunately, too well. What's bouncing around that empty head of yours?"

He didn't bother to turn toward her. "Empty bouncy thoughts," he told her reflection in the window.

She was perfectly aware something was wrong. Xander was hardly the type to do an Angel impression. Circling around the table she sat in his line of sight, blocking out the window. He blinked at the change of scenery, but evaded her gaze and lowered his eyes to inspect his hands.

"Xander?" he heard her ask quietly. She reached out to touch his arm.

He glanced at the hand on his arm, then up at her. The look of evident concern surprised him.

"You're vision girl. You've got something there. On top of everything else that's spe--" He sighed and started over, to try and express what he was feeling without sounding as bitter as he felt. "And..." he quirked his mouth and shrugged his shoulders.

"And?"

"Everyone has something. Now. Something special or important. Useful."

He tried to believe in the words he'd told Riley earlier. And most of the time he succeeded easily. Still, sometimes, the doubts surfaced and gnawed at him. In a very real and practical sense he knew he had the least to offer the group, that he was as often a detriment and hindrance as a help. He kept trying, through dogged determination and shear stubbornness. But now he wondered if it was just plain stupidity, and that it would just be better for all concerned to finally give it a rest, get off the field and let the pros play.

The underlying meaning of his words cut her deep. She knew exactly what he was talking about and her own contribution to that matter. She had been angry then, rightfully so, but she now admitted to herself that she didn't have to go quite so far quite so often.

She knew he wasn't nothing, that he mattered, but what could she say that would convince him otherwise? What could she say to break him out of this funk, something other a cheesy litany of all his accomplishments, which he'd probably heard a million times over? She tried to think of some deeper, more philosophic answer that would actually reach him at level he couldn't argue with.

She desperately cast around, then came up with a crazy notion. Perhaps just crazy enough to work.

"I know," she said brightly, "you're baseball!"

Xander stared blankly at her for a moment, not sure he actually heard her right.

"Huh?"

At least it got his attention. She continued excitedly, "Yeah, baseball!"

He gave her a rather dubious frown as he tried to puzzle out what she was implying. "I'm white, round, and stuffed with yarn?" he murmured.

"Yes! No. I mean yes!"

"Somehow," he said, slowly shaking his head, "that's making me feel just so much better. Thank you, Cordelia."

"No, no, stupid. Not _a_ baseball, but baseball the game. Like that movie you made me watch."

"Movie?" he asked, now very confused. "I'm a baseball movie?"

She scowled at him, very irritated now with his denseness. "No! The one you made me watch. Y'know, with Costner and the talking corn and James Earl Jones is telling him how important baseball is. That's you. You're baseball!"

Xander waved his hand to prompt her to explain. Of course he remembered the movie, a favorite of his. She had tolerated the movie only because she thought Costner was still kind of cute back then. She'd had actually slept through most of it, only waking up near the end during James Earl Jones' inspiring homily. At the time he had gotten a laugh from her when he commented he could enjoy hearing that deep sonorous voice even if James Earl Jones was only reciting the phone book.

"Baseball is what we measure everything by. You show us what's good, what we're fighting for. You give us a common bond, hold us together. That's you. We're the freaks. We only do what we do because we have to, or we're called to it, or, or, or... we've got nothing better to do. You do it because you want to. With nothing to defend yourself you still chose to beat back the bad," she said, horribly mangling James Earl Jones' words.

He looked up to see if she was done, which she apparently was. He pursed his lips and blinked rapidly. He scratched his head for a moment, a funny disbelieving expression on his face while he allowed the words to percolate.

"That's, that's really...," he started.

It in fact was one of the kookiest things he'd ever heard, and was about to tell her so. However, looking up at her again, seeing her face beautifully alight with emotion, he realized that she'd genuinely been trying to help. He clearly saw now the caring and compassionate human being he knew was always present yet all too often hidden.

She cared. Cared about people and how they felt. Hurt if they hurt, happy if they were happy. He had always known that about her even though she kept that aspect of herself very well hidden, except for rare times alone with him. This moment was a culmination of observations he had been making ever since her return. He saw that now she could so unselfconsciously show she cared, and that she would try to remedy the pain if she could.

And unbelievably she seemed to be concerned about him, cared that he hurt. She wanted to ease his pain, albeit in her own unique way, granted. He was touched beyond measure that she would do that for him now, he who had once caused her so much pain.

He amended his original stumbling reply and said, "--that's really... something. Thanks." He gave her a small but sincere and appreciative smile. He stood up. "I'll think about it." He turned and softly said, "Pleasant dreams, Cordy, sleep well." With a tender thoughtful expression Cordelia watched him head to his room.

* * *

**AN:** Well, about Spike. I'm going to assume at least a few people are upset about that. Let me explain. There are two reasons I killed the character. 

The first would have to be the basic logic, which I think is reasonable and fairly clearly presented in the chapter. If you review the shows up to this point I think you might agree that even though Spike has been helpful once or twice, the most charitable thing that can be said in his favor is he is at best a hindrance. More often he is actually deadly. Though he can't kill for himself, he's still evil (by his own admission) and can set things in motion, or aid and abet another's plans, to hurt, maim and kill. His few efforts to help the Scoobies are almost invariably selfish, e.g. it's his only outlet for violence. So like Xander said, maybe he just needed killin'!

The other reason--in fact the real reason--is that I don't think I can write the character. Between the sarcastic wit and the English idioms and whatnot it's just beyond me. And I could find no reasonable excuse for keeping him out of the story unless he wasn't around. I'd already made Anya disappear for unexplained reasons and so I couldn't go there again. Ergo, I killed the character. (And it was kinda fun! grins evilly )

And about the restaurant Harmony wants to go to...there's a place not far from where I live called 'The Barking Frog'. Just one of those cool names I always wanted to use in a story.


	4. All for One

**Title:** Segue

**Summary:** A change in reality and what makes a family.

**Warnings:** none

**Spoilers:** BtVS:Family, AtS:Redefinition

**Acknowledgment:** My thanks and appreciation to Theo for his outstanding work and helpful suggestions. This story would not be as good as it is without him.

* * *

**Part 4: All For One (and one for all?)**

"Explain again why I, the proprietor _and_ your employer, have to wear this, this..." Giles held up the silken purple robe, garishly decorated in golden stars and silvery moons, "this abomination, and not you, the employee?"

"I know something about promotion--" began Cordelia.

Xander coughed. "Self-promotion," he muttered, casually leafing through the morning paper while he sat next to the main sales counter.

Cordelia briefly looked annoyed but otherwise ignored him and pressed on with her explanation as if nothing had happened. "--and nothing says 'magic' better than Merlin. We need a Merlin for today's opening or it just won't work."

"I understand--almost--but why me?" Giles's voice had by now acquired an aggrieved tone.

Cordelia sighed and rolled her eyes as she tried once again to explain the oh-so-obvious, though with far less the tolerant humor than during the previous half-hour. "Merlin was a cranky old English guy, while I," she said, twirling about, skirt flaring out to reveal more of her legs and catching Xander's full attention at last, "am not. And purple is so not my color."

Giles glared at the clothing in his hand. "I'm not cranky!" he grumbled. Looking up and noticing skeptical looks from all those present he amended himself. "Alright, maybe I am. But I'm _not_ old!"

Xander licked his thumb and turned to the next page and without looking up asked, "Who recorded 'Satisfaction'?"

"Brittney Spears," responded Willow and Tara simultaneously while Giles answered, "The Rolling Stones."

He looked over at the two girls in surprise. "Oh dear Lord," he sighed, looking heavenward. "I _am_ old.' Resigned, Giles walked away shaking his head and prepared to put on the outfit. Xander smirked as he continued reading the funny pages.

"Thank you, Xander," said a relieved Cordelia.

"Anytime, honey. Anytime," he absently answered.

Xander glanced at his watch after finishing the page and jumped up. "Okay, I've got some errands to run this morning. Maybe I'll stop by later if I can; see how you're doing." Xander called over to Willow and Tara. "You guys wanted a lift to campus?"

Willow and Tara got up and joined him and they all quickly left the shop in a swirl of air and jingle of the door bell. With the loss of the three young adults the shop suddenly got very quiet, the soft ticking of the coffee-maker the loudest noise.

"Okay!" exclaimed Cordelia with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, "Now the customers will start rolling in."

"Yes!" agreed Giles, turning to face the entrance, pasting on the brilliant smile of an up-and-coming entrepreneur.

"Any moment now we'll be so busy we'll have to fend them off with chicken feet. This is the Hellmouth after all. Everybody around here needs some kinda magic junk in their life."

"Absolutely!"

Facing the door in anticipation, Cordelia rocked back and forth on her heels for a few seconds. "An-n-n-ny moment now."

They stood there for several long minutes, their cheery expressions becoming less and less cheerful by the moment.

Finally Giles grimaced and wandered back over to the sales counter. He hitched up the robe before sitting down, sighed again as he took one more look at the unmoving door, and began reading the paper Xander had left behind.

Cordelia had a bit more patience and fortitude but soon tired of the anticipation game as well. She went over and sat beside Giles. Glum, she accepted the offered cup of tea, blew across the top, and sighed in unison with Giles.

---

"You guys go on ahead. There's something I want to pick up in my room," Tara told Willow and Xander. "Just tell them I'll only be a few minutes late."

Xander looked around as Tara kissed Willow, and then waved goodbye to her before she rushed off toward her dorm. After seeing Tara off Willow rejoined him, winked at his embarrassment and decided to tease him about it.

"I thought guys liked to see two girls getting it on." She sidled up to him in a very suggestive manner.

Xander choked and coughed. "Well, yeah, I guess. I mean--but it's..." He stopped and gathered himself. "It's different somehow when one of them is my best friend. Don't ask why. It just is."

"Hmm, good recovery."

He offered his arm and she slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow as they started walking toward her meeting with some other Wiccans. Now that Anya was gone Xander was realizing how little time he had been spending with his friends lately, particularly Willow. He wanted to try and make up for it.

"How are the classes going?" Xander asked, squinting into the late morning sun bathing the campus.

"Oh, they're good, they're good. Lot's of learning happening in this neck of the woods. You know me, always enjoying the learning. Absorbing the knowledge. I'm a sponge, a knowledge sponge."

Xander looked sideways at Willow and saw right through her. "Not so fun, huh?"

A little chagrined, but not really surprised she couldn't fool her best friend, Willow didn't even attempt to back-pedal. "No. Not really. Don't get me wrong, it's all good stuff. Philosophy, ethics and value systems, religion, history of paganism. All great. But it's not actually 'fun'. I need to have some fun mixed in!"

"You're taking drama, that's fun isn't it?"

"That was supposed to be fun with Buffy. We could do scenes together and recite and practice and be overly melodramatic, but no-o-o, she has to train. Or slay. Or she's with Riley." She sighed and made a sour face. "I understand the reasons. We're all getting so busy with different things. All a part of growing up, I suppose. And it's not like Buffy can really take any time off. Still, sometimes it sucks."

They walked a ways in silence before Willow shook her shoulders and decided she wasn't going to let growing up and life's changes as a result thereof get her down. She was with her best friend on a gorgeous autumn day and that was all yummy goodness. "Enough about me, what about you? Your job, that's going well?

"Oh yeah!" Xander's eyes lit up and he become very animated, gesturing enthusiastically as he answered her. He described the projects he'd been recently working on and all the things he was learning about the trade. "I think I've really found my niche. Something I'm good at. I mean, something I am good _and_ like. And it's helping people, y'know? I really like it. I like it a lot."

Willow was genuinely pleased and smiled proudly at him. "That's great, Xander!"

"I know it's not as important as what Buffy does, or even what you're doing. And the early hours are rough. I can't spend as much time at night helping out with the patrolling. But it's all good. Being on my own, away from that house, that's got to be the best move I ever made."

"Yeah, look at you! You're apartment man and promotion man and paying bills man. It's like you're a real grown-up, only young enough to still be kinda cool. I'm a little jealous in a way."

"Jealous?"

"Just a little," she winked. She remembered how it had been rocky for Xander the first year out of high-school, Anya being one of the few high points of his life. But it seemed to have been a great maturing process and he was all the better for it. The move away from home had been the final triumph and no one was more pleased than she when he'd finally gotten away from his parents. "But mostly I'm really proud of you!" She patted his hand and her eyes shone with pride.

Sheepish, Xander stopped and kicked at the ground lightly, toeing the dirt. He looked up at her. "Really? Proud?"

"Yes, Xander! You've really succeeded. I'm _very_ proud of you." Releasing his arm Willow stepped around and up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. There was no trace of the awkwardness that once existed between them after the "fluke" and the factory incident. "We don't get to do this enough," she said into his jacket.

Xander squeezed just a little tighter. "You mean hug?"

"Yes, this too. Best friends should never be afraid of hugging. No matter what." She pulled her head back and looked at him sternly to make sure he got the message. "But this too. Just you and me, together, hanging out, like it was before Buffy."

"Bu--"

"Hey! Of _course_ I don't want to go back to how it was before Buffy!" she reproved him. "But don't you sometimes miss it?" she asked in a light musing tone. "Just the three of us, remember? The duly sworn members of the 'We Hate Cordelia Club'?" Her voice assumed a sing-song lilt as she recited their motto, "'All for us, and one to hate!'" They both chuckled at the memory of all the silly little rituals they had invented for themselves.

But soon Xander's expression grew somber and he looked off into the horizon, peering around as if trying to find someone. When he finally brought his eyes back to Willow he took her hand in his and started walking again. "I miss Jesse," he said sadly, though without the paralyzing grief that used to plague him whenever he thought of Jesse.

"I do too," she agreed as she gently patted his hand again. "Heh, and now you're _living_ with Cordelia!" Her face screwed up suddenly. "Oh, Goddess! Did I just really say that?"

"Living with Cordy," echoed Xander wonderingly, hardly believing he was saying it too. The somber moment gone as soon as it arrived, he chuckled. "Sounds pretty weird, doesn't it?"

Willow rolled her eyes and shuddered dramatically. "Boy, you can say that again!"

"Living--"

"But don't!" she hastily shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips.

Xander grinned and nodded but continued talking in a musing manner. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be. She's different somehow, don't you think?"

"Different?"

"Yeah. Like, she's really friendly with Tara. You must have noticed that. Could you have imagined that happening four or five years ago?"

"Well..." Willow paused to think about this new and not entirely welcome notion and was saved by their arrival in front of the steps to the building were the meeting was going to be. "Here we are. Thanks for walking with me, Xander." Willow gave Xander a quick hug before turning up the steps to Fischer Hall. She stopped a few steps up and turned around. "She is different, isn't she?" She turned before he had a chance to answer and quickly trotted up the rest of the steps, soon disappearing into the building.

Xander watched her go before turning and slowly wandering back through the campus to where he'd parked.

---

A very quiet and lonely couple of hours passed before Buffy and Riley sauntered into the customer-less shop. Riley, entering just behind Buffy, took off his jacket and hung it by the door and turned to continue.

"Hi Giles," he hailed, "how goes the Grand Op--"

He stumbled when he ran into Buffy, who was standing stock-still, gaping at Giles. When Riley looked past her shoulder he also gaped at the sight.

Recovering quickly, Buffy cocked her head first one way and then the other, looking very puzzled. A brilliant smile slowly emerged and she nodded her head approvingly. "You know, Giles, I like the new you. It works," she said cheerfully, "New car. New shop. New threads. We'll call you Giles, Mark II. Or maybe Kool-Aid Man."

"Been listening to Hendrix again, haven't you?" asked Riley, warily eying the colorful robe. "I thought you were married to your tweed. Going through a trial separation? Or are you going straight for the divorce?"

Giles's grin, brave and false, collapsed into a frown. "Yes, very funny. I think I shall reconcile with my tweed." Giles headed for the back room to dispose of the costume.

Both grinning and giggling like idiots, Riley and Buffy stepped down into the shop and casually looked about, not seeing anybody other than Cordelia fussing over by the candles.

"When do you start the Grand Opening?" Buffy asked Giles's retreating back.

"Since nine this morning," sighed Giles on his return. He pasted a smile back on his face. "Not to worry. I have confidence everything will work out splendidly. We just need a-a-a little more time for the word to spread."

"It's kinda spreading like cold molasses. You might have to wait years."

"I'm with you, Giles. I think you guys are gonna make it big!" Riley said enthusiastically, ignoring Buffy's mumbled "suck up" comment.

"Yes, err, thank you for your kind words of encouragement."

"Well in the meanwhile, since you're not too busy, here's a new toy for you to play with." Buffy dug into her bag and produced what appeared to be a frosted glass ball, about the size of a grapefruit, glowing with an inner shimmering silvery light.

Riley looked over Buffy's shoulder, curious.

Cordelia had finally bored of arranging the candles and made her way over to join them. She gave one glance at the ball and resumed her bored expression but nevertheless stayed to listen.

Giles was immediately interested and stepped up after polishing and donning his glasses. He extended his hands and Buffy handed the ball over. Gently and carefully rolling it back and forth, Giles squinted at it in concentration. After inspecting it from every direction he delivered his shrewd and considered expert opinion.

"Looks mystical."

"How can you tell?" asked Riley.

"It's doing that glow-y thing," Cordelia tossed over her shoulder.

Giles glanced over at Cordelia. "Err, yes, quite." He returned his attention to Buffy. "Where did you get it?"

"Last night. On patrol."

Riley looked both surprised and dismayed. "I thought you were staying in last night."

A guilty wince flashed across Buffy's face. "It was just a quickie. Patrol. A quick patrol. I just figured you still needed some more time to recover before going out again." She caressed Riley's arm, pouted and gave her best come-hither look but he still didn't look happy.

Giles asked, "It was just laying about?"

Giving up on placating Riley she turned and shrugged. "I guess. A security guard at the warehouse thought it belonged to me. He just handed it over."

Giles rolled it around some more, sniffed, and placed it down on a cloth on the counter-top. "Well, we'll look into it. I don't think there's any real rush though. In the meanwhile I think it would be a good idea to get some training in this morning."

"Can it wait? Mom wanted me to take Dawn shopping for some school supplies." She turned to head back out. "Riley?"

Distracted with his own thoughts Riley looked up in surprise before he answered. "Uh, no, no, I think I'd like to take up the workout offer. I can use the, uh, rehab. Meet you for lunch?" He smiled weakly.

"It's a date!" Buffy got up on her toes to give him a quick peck before she turned and breezed out the door. Riley watched her go, his face not betraying any emotion. While still staring at the door Buffy had just exited he asked, "Giles, it's alright if I use the..." he nodded in the direction of the training room.

Giles, examining the ball again, looked up quickly when he was addressed. "What? Oh! Yes, yes, by all means."

Riley nodded his thanks, turned and slowly made his way to the back room.

Cordelia followed him with her eyes and then shared a look with Giles. They listened to the muffled thumps and grunts as they waited in vain for their first customer.

---

"Thank you, and please do come again!" Giles cheerfully told the young woman. After watching her leave he waved one of the dollar bills in front of Willow. "See? Money! Someone came in to my shop, a-a-and purchased something. And gave me money!" He swept his arm about, "And look, there's another customer over there, and they might give me money too! After yesterday I was afraid we would have to close up straight away. I'm almost giddy!"

Willow grinned with shared excitement. "Congratulations, you're an official capitalist pig."

Giles couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face. "I'll have to think of what to buy with it. Perhaps--"

"I'm sure I've got some rope buried in here..." Willow had opened her bag and peered in.

Cordelia reached over Giles's shoulder and snatched the note from his fingers. "I'll take that."

Giles spluttered. "Cordelia! That needs to go in the cash register."

"No," she patiently explained, "This is our very first dollar from our very first sale. It gets framed and put on the wall. Tradition." She reached under the counter and brought out the small frame she had purchased prior to their Grand Opening and carefully fit the bill into it.

"But, but..."

Setting her bag aside, Willow said, "I hate to admit it, Giles, but she's right. It's very traditional to frame your first dollar. They can take away your business license if you don't."

Giles spun around. "Really?"

"No," Willow laughed, "But it's still a good running-dog tradition. Embrace it."

Giles demurred. "Well, in that case I suppose... But I'm allowed to spend the next one?"

"Absolutely. Splurge away. Live large!" Willow cheerfully patted Giles on the shoulder.

Some new customers entered and both Cordelia and Giles went over to help out. Willow sighed as she looked down at the pile of books before her and went back to scanning through the volumes. All her Internet searching had turned up nothing and so now she slowly flipped page after page, sometimes consulting another book to help decipher the text. She grew more and more dejected with each page full of nothing useful.

Willow brightened immeasurably when Tara returned after class and joined her, but her joy was short-lived when Giles quickly volunteered Tara to help out with the increasing number of customers and their naive questions.

Willow resumed her page turning, occasionally stopping and reading a bit, looking back over at the ball, and moving on. She looked up when Buffy burst through the door and went straight to Giles.

"Giles, I have an idea what's making my mom sick!"

"Oh? The doctor's found something?"

She waved him off. "No, not them. They won't find anything. It's supernatural!" She reached over to pick up the orb sitting next Willow. "The night watchman who found this thing? He went crazy - like overnight."

Willow pursed her lips and she and Giles both backed away. Buffy kept the ball and casually dismissed their concerns. "It won't hurt us. I had it on me all night. But this guy, he saw things... he said things."

"Such as?"

"They'll come at me through my family."

"They? Who will?"

"I don't know... yet. But whatever zonked this guy, it made him see something. Something the rest of us can't. He _knew_ someone's hurting my mom and they're trying to get to me." Buffy looked desperate.

Giles sat and removed his glasses, waving them at Buffy. "Well, anything is possible, of course, I suppose," Giles said, trying to placate her, his brow puckered in concern. He was afraid Buffy was grasping at straws, grasping for any tiny thing she could do to help her mom no matter how silly or nonsensical it seemed. "But that's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Your only proof is the ramblings of a madman?"

"But it's a start!" Buffy pleaded. "We need to find out who's making my mom sick and how."

Willow spoke up, trying to be calming, soothing, and encouraging all at once. "Okay, Buffy, we'll get on it. Madmen, glowing spheres, headaches. We'll find it," she told Buffy reassuringly.

Buffy's wild desperateness diminished fractionally. "We gotta find something, Will! I can't let my mom be hurt!"

---

"Hey guys, helping hand is here." Xander entered the shop, nodding with approval at the number of customers milling about. "That was some good work, Cordy. You've really gotten some notice around town. Even some of the guys at work were talking about it."

Expecting the usual jibe, Cordelia was non-plussed by Xander's sincere complement. "Oh. Uh...thanks." She flashed him a small uncertain smile and started to turn away when a thought occurred to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't get off till four."

"You thought right. But it's foundation inspection time and Sunnydale's finest on-duty inspector has gone AWOL. They're trying to scare up the other guy, but until then we can't do a thing till we get their blessing. And as much as I'd like to guzzle beer with a bunch of guys with guts rolling over their belts and trading dirty jokes, I thought instead I might find somewhere I could actually be helpful. So here I am."

"You got carded, didn't you?"

"Well...yeah, that too," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

"You've found the right place. There's plenty to do," Cordelia said primly, waving at all the milling customers. She frowned when she saw Willow, having surrendered the research to Buffy, getting tangled in tape and paper. "Go help Willow with the gift wrapping. I honestly didn't think it was possible to be so pathetic." Cordelia shook her head in wonder and walked off to help elsewhere.

Xander briskly rubbed his hands together and went behind the counter to give Willow an assist. He unsuccessfully tried to keep from laughing as he patiently helped her get untangled from the tape monster she had conjured up and been nearly swallowed by. While removing the last bits of tape from Willow's hair he glanced over at Buffy. "Hey Buff! Anything new on the magic eight ball?"

"Huh? Oh, Um, no, not really." Buffy had had no more luck than Willow and casually flipped through a couple more pages without even looking at them. She blew a stray wisp of hair out of her face and closed the book with a decisive thump. "Not really the research girl here. There's too much stuff going on."

Looking around Xander noticed Riley wasn't present. He frowned. "Everything alright? You and Ri--"

"No, it's not that," she hurriedly corrected him. "It's mom. Her headaches are getting worse again. And that guy who gave me this ball was at the hospital this morning, acting all crazy. He said 'they' would get at me through my family. I think that's what's happening. Someone is attacking my mom, trying to get at me. Giles isn't so sure, but I am!"

Giles, having finished up with another customer, was still rather dubious. "I don't know..."

Tara, also nearby and overhearing Buffy's concerns, approached her. "I know of an incantation that can tell you if someone is under the influence of a spell. 'Tirer le Rideau'. It's--"

"Tired of riding?"

Willow winced. "Draw back the curtain."

"Do you mean Cloutier's?" asked Giles. "Yes, I've heard of that. I-I-it's a spell to see spells. Well, a trance to see spells, really. But still, I'm not sure this--"

"What do you mean "see" spells?" Buffy interrupted.

Giles dropped easily into lecturing mode. "All spells leave some kind of trace, a sort of signature. It's just not perceptible to the human eye. In this case, it could be the image of a hand choking your mother."

"Or a cloud of mist around her," added Tara.

"Or maybe the shape of the demon that's performing the spell?" asked Willow.

Giles agreed. "Possible, yes. This trance, if you perform it correctly, it puts you into an altered state of reality, allows you to see this spell, whatever form it may take."

Buffy looked pensive, tapping a finger on her knee as she thought. She nodded her head. "Okay, that sounds like what I need. I'll go home, I'll get trancey and I'll see who or what is hurting my mom."

Willow was worried. "I don't know, Buffy. Trances? They can be really quite intricate and tricky to do, a-and you need to get it just right. If something goes wrong you could be stuck in trance-ville."

"Yes, the Sorcerer Cloutier was legendary. His skills at achieving higher states of consciousness were--"

"But I've been practicing my concentration skills." Buffy was desperate. "I know I'm close, Giles!"

"Do you really think you're ready? The side-effects could be severe if something goes wrong. Or as Willow said, what if you never exit the trance. Or--"

Buffy didn't have to think any more about it. "It's my mom. I'll _get_ ready." She swiveled to face her best friend. "Will, I'm going to do it. How do I get to Trancevillevania Station?"

Willow and Tara took Buffy over to one of the bookcases and pulled out the relevant volume. They sat down at an empty table and carefully explained it all to her. Then they helped gather all the necessary ingredients before going over it again even more carefully. Before she left, both Tara and Willow wished her good luck.

---

Tara suddenly looked excited, nodding her head as she re-read the passage. After reading it a third time to be sure, she called out, "I think I've found it!" She stood, pointing down to the dusty book in front of her and beckoning Giles.

Giles broke away from a customer and came over. "What have you got, Tara?"

"Look at this, Mr. Giles, I think this is it!" she said, pointing down at the page. "I think this is describing that orb."

Giles quickly read through the passage and became a little excited himself. He fetched the glassy ball from its place on the counter-top and brought it back to the table. He read through the passage again, more slowly, muttering as he compared the text description to the object in his hands. "I think you're right, Tara. A Dagon Sphere. It's some kind of defensive ward. A protection against ancient evil." His brow furrowed and he pulled off his glasses, biting down nervously on the ear-piece. "Hmm, it's not clear how it works, although it appears to be specifically targeted at 'That Which Cannot Be Named'. But at least it's not dangerous. Good work, Tara." He nodded approvingly. "I'll ring Buffy and let her know the good news."

Taking the book and the Dagon Sphere, Giles went behind the cash register and brought up the phone from underneath. He dialed quickly and drummed his fingers impatiently as he waited for Buffy to pick up.

"Buffy? Yes, Giles here. Listen, Buffy, we've found out what the ball is for. It's called a Dagon Sphere and it--what? Oh, Yes? What? Uh, wait just a moment Buffy."

With an impatient scowl he listened to the customer who had interrupted him, wanting to know where the bat ears were. "Over there, next to the shrew's tails." He pointed to the case containing all the small animal parts and returned his attention to Buffy.

"It didn't work? What do you mean?" He paused to listen to Buffy's answer. "Look, never mind that. Buffy, I think this is important. The sphere is a ward, a-a-a protection _against_ evil, _not_ the cause. Yes? Yes, I think that's a good idea. Ring me when you've found anything. Good. And be careful. If this thing is really a defense against evil it's possible that evil may not be far off."

Giles set the phone down slowly, his face set in an expression of worry, and stared pensively at the Dagon Sphere. Xander, who had just been getting the news from Tara asked Giles, "You gave her the good news?"

Giles looked up, surprised. "Oh. Yes, she got that. But the spell she performed, she said it's not working right."

"What do you mean 'not working right'?" asked Willow. "We gave her all the right ingredients. And the instructions. We went over them twice! And I even wrote them down, with little pictures and everything. A child could perform it."

"No, it's not that, Willow. It didn't show _any_ magical or mystical influences on Joyce."

"That's good then, isn't it?" wondered Tara.

"One would assume, I suppose. But she then said something about, about..."

"About what?" asked Xander.

"About..." Giles hesitated to speak the next word "...Dawn. I didn't quite get what she was saying." He shook his head.

Cordelia, who had either been busy with customers or studiously ignoring the Scoobies gathered near the register, looked up suddenly. "Dawn?"

"Yes. She didn't add anything to that. After I mentioned the Dagon Sphere she decided to go back where she found it and see if there was anything more."

"We should go help," said Willow.

"I think Buffy is quite capable of doing a little investigative work on her own. She'll ring if she needs us. And," he looked around at all the customers that had flooded the store now that the office workday was over, "I need the help here."

Everyone was soon too busy to deal with or worry about the Dagon sphere, Buffy, or even Dawn. Not too much later an unhappy Riley arrived and chipped in as well.

---

Cordelia leaned back and moaned. "Oh...oh... yes! Right there! Yes. Oh my God, that feels so wonderful! Ahhh..." Her head lolled in rapture.

Xander glanced up from his ministrations, seeing an odd look from Willow. "What? You want next, Will?" he tiredly asked, "Get in line."

Giles looked up, interested, "Oh? There's a queue?".

"Nuh uh!" Xander emphatically shook his head. "I've got to draw the line somewhere!"

Willow wiggled her shoulder in anticipation and smirked at Giles.

Cordelia's eyes snapped opened when Xander had stopped. "Hey!" she said, demanding that he pay attention to what he should be doing.

With a weary sigh Xander bent back to his task and Cordelia was soon emitting soft moans of pleasure.

"Okay, now the other one," Xander instructed her, gently easing her stockinged foot back to the floor. She readily kicked off her pump and lifted her other foot up to his lap for its turn to experience Xander's foot massage technique. After cracking his knuckles and rolling and stretching his shoulders he began to gently knead her foot with both hands.

Cordelia's head rolled back languidly and her eyes closed, her features relaxing into rapturous repose. "Oh, that feels so wonderful. If I'd known you could do that I just might have considered taking taking you back."

Although she had made it an off-hand flippant comment, the reminder of his mistake nevertheless caused a flicker of guilty pain. Shrugging it off Xander kept on kneading and massaging her foot as she drifted away again.

When his hands and fingers began to tire and cramp he lifted her foot and gently set it back down on the floor.

"Thank you, Xander, that was...nice. Really nice."

"You're welcome. But damn, this retail biz is a rough gig! Gimme manual labor any day. But congratulations Giles, I think you've got a hit." Xander stretched and failed to stifle a yawn. "Now it's time for this carpenter to get some shut-eye. You coming with, Cordy?"

As Cordelia and Xander were collecting their jackets and preparing to leave she suddenly convulsed sideways, lurching into Xander. He stumbled but did not fall, automatically wrapping his arms around Cordelia to prevent her from falling as well. Her hand flew to press against her forehead as she suddenly cried out a loud and unintelligible sound.

She gasped as the vision poured in, a waterfall of pain cascading over and through her, blinding her to everything around. The pain began to subside, though only a little, and images flashed across her visual cortex. A dirty warehouse. A middle-aged man on his knees, screaming. A pair of hands somehow buried in his head, sucking the energy from his mind. The scrolling images repeated themselves as waves of agony continued to crash back and forth inside Cordelia's head.

Eventually, from a million miles away, Cordelia heard her name being called, repeated over and over. She tried to open her eyes but was blinded by the glare and immediately covered her face with her hands. She heard a voice tell someone to turn down the lights and she was immensely grateful. When Cordelia could finally open her eyes she saw all of her friends' faces clustered around her; shock, fear, worry and concern written on all of them.

"Can you hear me, Cordelia? What happened?" asked Giles

"Maybe she had an epileptic seizure?" wondered Willow.

Cordelia tried to shake her head but new spasms of agony stopped any further motion. "Vis--" was all she could croak out past a raw throat. "A vis--," she gasped once more before giving up.

Riley stood up, dumbfounded. "Avis? She wants to rent a car?"

Even through the tight rictus of pain Cordelia was able to express her disgust at Riley's idiocy. She needed to open her eyes and explain it to them but she also needed the pain to subside some more.

Xander had wadded up his jacket, placing it under head as a makeshift pillow, and was unconsciously gently stroking her hair. Xander looked up, suddenly realizing what she had been trying to say. "A vision! She had a vision." Seeing the confused expressions from everyone he clarified, "She gets visions of things that are going to happen. It's, um, something she picked up in L.A."

Cordelia managed to raise her hand slightly in Xander's direction indicating he had the right answer.

Giles looked skeptical. "Visions?"

"Yeah. She told me the other day. She gets visions of...bad things that are going to happen. So Angel can go stop it. She said they were really painful. I think that's what just happened."

Cordelia had a regained enough strength to nod her head to confirm Xander's statement.

Willow was plainly astounded. "You mean she's a, a...seer?" She was having trouble wrapping her mind around the concept that someone like Cordelia would be blessed with such a gift. Though now looking back down and seeing Cordelia's obvious suffering she wondered if "gift" was the right word.

As the receding remnants of mental agony slowly morphed into a merely killer headache Cordelia found she could finally speak coherently. "W-w-warehouse. Three-Eighty-Four San Tomas. Second floor. A man getting his brain sucked out by some demon. I didn't really see the demon. Stop. Have. To stop. It," she said breathlessly.

"What?"

Cordelia rapidly regained her strength and began to sit up. "Have to stop it." She still kept her eyes half closed.

"I'll try and ring Buffy," said Giles.

They waited as Giles called Buffy's house. Tara went to the bathroom and fetched some aspirin and water for Cordelia, who gave her a grateful smile.

Giles returned with a worried look on his face. "There's no answer," he informed them. "You said a warehouse, Cordelia?"

"Yeah," she nodded. Cordelia struggled to her feet and found the coat she had been about to put on. "Then we've got to go."

"Cor--" began Xander.

"Don't you 'Cordy' me!" she snapped, wincing and stumbling slightly before she was able to go on. "The longer. We wait. The more likely we'll. Be too late. We have to go. Now." She tried to step up the first step but found she lacked the energy and fell back again into Xander, who quickly set her upright.

Everyone stared blankly at her, either reluctant, or too confused, to follow.

She rolled her eyes. "Morons!" she said to the ceiling, "I've got morons on my team." With the force of a major earthquake for a headache behind it she leveled her most venomous glare at the assembled Scoobies. "_Now_, people!"

Everyone jumped into motion, Xander helping Cordelia up the steps as Giles held open the door. Willow and Tara went with Xander in his car when they realized they wouldn't all fit in Giles's.

---

The group ran up to the fence surrounding the warehouse where they saw Buffy huddled near the gate, hovering over a robed figure lying back against the fence.

"Buffy," called out Giles, "Are you alright?"

She spared a quick glance up to see her friends rushing toward her, interrupting her interrogation of the monk. In his weakened state the holy man was initially oblivious to the sudden presence of the newcomers and he continued speaking without interruption. Giles and the others arrived just in time to hear him say, "You have to... " He then noticed the others around and stopped, looking at each of the faces, reluctant to reveal what was meant only for the slayer.

But he knew his time was short and his message too important. With renewed determination he ignored them and focused once more on Buffy. "The Key. You must protect."

"Okay fine. We can protect the Key. Together, okay?" Buffy waved her hand. "Just far, far from here."

"He's looking bad," said Riley, who knelt down next to the monk and began gently checking for injuries. The monk winced at Riley's probings. Riley frowned and shook his head. "Not good." He took out a knife and started cutting away at the robe to expose the injuries.

Giles, more curious about what the monk was saying than concerned with his injuries, asked "What was that? Did he say 'Key'? What's this Key?"

The monk blinked and glanced up at Giles. "Energy. For the portal. It opens the do--"

"The Dagon Sphere!" burst out Willow.

The monk's strength was clearly fading fast as he made a barely noticeable shake of his head. "No. No. For centuries it had no form at all. My order its only keepers. The abomination, The Beast, it found us. We had to hide i-aughhhh!" He closed his eyes tightly and hissed in pain as Riley cut away another strip, wadded it up and began applying pressure to the worst of the wounds.

Riley looked back over his shoulder at the standing group. "I think he has internal injuries. We have to get him to a hospital. Now!"

The monk's eyes flickered open and he tried to push Riley away, singularly unconcerned for himself, focused only on his mission. "We gave it form, made it human... and sent it to you." The monk looked significantly at Buffy and sagged back even further. He needed the Slayer to understand so that she would fulfill her part.

Xander's face twisted in confusion as he also looked at Buffy. "Sent it to you? Human? What's that mean? Do you have a new house guest you're not telling us about?"

Buffy looked back at the monk, eyes growing wide and mouth falling open in shock as she began to understand the meaning of the monk's words. "Dawn. He means Dawn!" she said in a horrified gasp.

"Dawn?" echoed both Tara and Riley.

The monk nodded his head once. "She's the Key. We knew Slayer would protect."

"But...my memories. My mom's?"

"We made them." The monk gave a tiny shy smile, tinged with no small pride at his and his brethren's accomplishment.

Anger began to replace Buffy's disbelief and she snapped. "Un-make them! This is my life you're--"

The monk started a series of hacking rattling coughs, spitting up some blood onto his robe, even getting some on Buffy.

"Hospital, now!" shouted Riley again as he tried to lift up the monk.

Completely accepting of his fate the monk kept feebly pushing at Riley. He had only the one task to complete before he was done. He had to get the Slayer to accept her fate as protector of the Key. "You cannot abandon!" he husked.

Buffy got up, taking a small step back. "I didn't ask for this! Wha-wha-what _is_ she?

The monk answered her with a small, sad smile, knowing his job was nearly complete the moment he heard the Slayer refer to the Key as "she". "Human. Helpless and human. She is innocent. She needs you."

Almost convinced despite herself, Buffy half-heartedly tried one more excuse. "But...she's not my sister," Buffy whispered.

Xander, still shocked by the exchange, squawked. "What? Not you're sister? Buffy, what're you two going on about?"

The monk steadfastly ignored everyone but Buffy, locking eyes with her. "She doesn't know that."

Giles, who was also in a bit of shock as he listened to the monk's words, shook himself out of his daze. They needed to know more. Much more. And they weren't going to get it if they allowed him to die. "Buffy, Riley's right, we have to get him to a hospital!" He knelt down and reached to get the monk's legs and help Riley lift him.

The monk saw Buffy's belligerent pose and expression gradually soften. He was done and he smile warmly up at Buffy, expressing his gratitude and confidence. Knowing his last earthly task was completed he exhaled one final wheezing breath and died.

Buffy, her life just turned upside down, stepped back and stared down at the body as Riley and Giles began administering CPR.

Xander kept on blathering, asking questions. "What's going on? What's he talking about? Dawn's not her sister? That's nuts!" Nobody was answering his questions so he turned directly to Buffy. "Buffy, wha--"

Cordelia smacked him on the back of the head. "Shut up, Xander!"

Buffy noticed the motion out of the corner of her eye and her face become cloudy again with anger. She marched around the monk's body to Cordelia and shoved her up against the fence.

"Hey, back off Mrs. Rambo!" Cordelia exclaimed, but quite unable to actually do anything about Buffy pinning her.

"That's what you were talking about, wasn't it?" Buffy angrily demanded from Cordelia, practically spitting in the taller girl's face. She pressed her harder against the fence, forearm nearly up in her throat. "What else did your 'vision' tell you about Dawn? About this, this 'Key'?"

Xander hastily jumped over and tried to pull Buffy away. At first Buffy didn't budge, eyes locked with Cordelia's. But she finally relented after a few seconds and let Giles and Xander pull her back, releasing Cordelia. While Giles held on to Buffy, Xander stepped between the antagonists and, after quickly making certain Cordelia was alright, turned to calm down his friend.

"Just hold on a minute, Buffy. What are you accusing her for? She's the sent us here, to help some guy getting attacked by a demon! We didn't know you were here also."

Buffy shouted over Xander's shoulder. "What else aren't you telling me, Cordelia? Huh? Are you mixed up with that hell bitch in there?" Buffy pointed at the warehouse on the other side of the fence, dust and debris puffing out of the ground floor windows. "Is that The Beast he was talking about! Well?"

"Hell bitch? Beast? What? Where?" asked Giles, rapidly turning his head to locate the new threat.

Despite her anger Buffy allowed Xander to gently push her back another step even as she continued to glare at Cordelia. Riley, after unsuccessfully trying to resuscitate the monk came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder, comforting his girlfriend.

As if it were a reminder Buffy's angry threatening expression changed to an anxious and worried one. "I've got to get home!" Buffy declared.

"What about him?" Tara asked, pointing at the body.

"I don't know, He's, he's..." Buffy trailed off, unsure about what needed to be done next.

"And the fellow we were sent to help?" asked Giles. "Is that the warehouse, Cordelia?"

Still rubbing her throat, Cordelia only nodded.

Giles turned to Buffy. "Did you see anybody else in there? Someone being attacked?"

Buffy's face knit in concentration. "Yeah. Yeah, I think there was some old guy. Kinda heavy." She looked back at the ruined warehouse. "I don't think he could have made it through that collapse," Buffy sadly informed him.

"Did he have a mustache? Balding? Maybe yay tall?" asked Xander, holding up his hand, palm flat.

"Yeah, that's him."

Xander sighed and shook his head. "I think we've found our wayward inspector," he said under his breath.

Buffy was getting agitated. "Can we get back to Dawn? And what about him?" she pointed to the deceased monk.

Decisively Giles said, "Riley and I will take care of it. You go home, Buffy."

"We will?" asked Riley, preferring to go with Buffy.

Giles's glare quickly caused him to agree. "I'll need a witness to vouch for my story."

"How do I get back then?" asked Buffy.

"Xander drove here as well. All of you can fit in his car. Riley and I will take care of this and then we'll all meet tomorrow."

Xander dithered for a few seconds, hesitant to leave, but then decided. "All right, let's go," he said. He led the way back to his car, leaving Giles and Riley behind to call 911. Xander had no idea what story Giles would spin to the cops, but for the time being he didn't care.

---

Xander slowed and gently turned up into the driveway at the Summer's residence, letting the car drift to a stop before toeing the brakes. It had a been a strange and uncomfortable ride back from the warehouse, the tension between Buffy and Cordelia still simmering. Fortunately they both had stayed silent rather than resorting to the vicious catfight Xander had almost expected. Tara and Willow had whispered together furiously in the back seat beside Cordelia but after an initial series of unanswered questions to Buffy they too became quiet.

His own thoughts were still spinning from all the news; not only that Dawn was not real, but that Cordelia had known something about it and never said anything.

It became eerily quiet after Xander turned off the engine. Nobody moved or said anything for several long moments, the sound of their breathing and the chirping of crickets the only thing they heard. Tara put her hand in Willow's and received a reassuring squeeze. Xander looked out at the house, seeing one of the lights on upstairs, absently noting it was not Buffy's room. He glanced in the mirror at Cordelia sitting in the backseat.

Finally Buffy reached for the door handle. Willow leaned forward against the seat and put her hand on Buffy's shoulder, stopping her. "Are you going to be okay, Buffy?"

"Yeah, sure," Buffy answered dryly.

"It's just...you've been silent for so long. And, y'know, best friend here. And I'm worried, and maybe we should all go in, and--"

Buffy turned and smiled for the first time all evening. "It's okay, Will. I'm good. Really." Buffy opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air. She walked hesitantly around the car toward her house and then stopped. She squared her shoulders and seemed to fill with strength and resolve. Looking back at her friends she said, "I just need to apologize to someone."

Cordelia raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Who?" asked Xander.

"My sister."

---

Early the next afternoon they were all gathered around a picnic table on campus, just outside Stevenson Hall, in a slightly secluded spot within a small grove of trees. Tara was the first to talk to Buffy. "How's Dawn?"

"She's good," Buffy answered neutrally. Then she cocked her head and reconsidered the previous night's events and smiled brightly. "Yeah. Good. We're good."

"Buffy, you said you had to fight something before you rescued that monk fellow. Something about a-a 'hell bitch'? Was this the 'The Beast' the monk was referring to?" asked Giles.

Buffy looked unsure, wrinkling her nose. "Well, she didn't really look like much of a beast."

"What did she look like? And how do you know it was a 'she'?"

"She looked like a person, a woman. A really, really strong woman. Stronger than me. With an attitude. I don't like her!" Buffy declared.

"Attitude?" asked Xander.

"I did say 'hell bitch'. She was kinda like," she quickly glanced over and noticed Cordelia inspecting her nails, "nobody we know. Only with super strength and a bad perm. And the attitude. Did I mention that?"

Xander made a goofy grin. "Badder than a whole King Kong?"

"And meaner than a junk yard dog." Buffy's own grin faded. "Nuttier, anyway."

"Err, yes. If that's 'The Beast' and she's as strong as you say she is, then it's probable that's not her real appearance. Now, the monk said she would be after this 'Key'?"

"Which is what Dawn is!" chipped in Willow.

Buffy rolled her shoulders and rolled her eyes, showing she was still not entirely comfortable with the concept. "Yup."

"That's just so incredible. I can hardly believe it. Dawn is some kind of mystical..." Tara mused wonderingly.

Buffy gave Tara a hard look. Tara was immediately apologetic. "I-I-I only mean she seems like such a normal teenager. It's going to be a-a little strange. Being around her, knowing what she really is."

Willow nodded her head while Giles raised his eyebrows. However Xander was emphatically and angrily shaking his head.

"You don't agree, Xander?" asked Giles.

"No! Not at all. I was thinking about it last night--"

"Oh boy, here it comes," warned Cordelia.

"I. Was. Thinking." He glared at Cordelia, who looked away after a moment. He returned his attention to the others. "What difference does it make?"

"But she's not real!" pointed out Willow. "That's a pretty big difference," But Buffy was watching Xander with interest and motioned him to continue.

"Right. Right. She's not real." Xander looked around to each of them gathered and then back to Willow. "How do you know that?" he demanded. "You can all sit there and tell me she's this green key energy thingy. And maybe you're right." He tapped his finger to his temple. "But everything I know, everything I remember," he moved his hand over his heart, "everything I _feel_, tells me she's Buffy's sister."

"But those are fake memories," argued Cordelia.

He turned to face her. "And as far as I'm concerned, so what?" Xander waited for an answer and got none. "Fake or not, it's the reality I know. Who's to say what you're telling us isn't the implanted memory."

"But it isn't! That's what my first vision was telling me. Dawn isn't real. I didn't understand it then, but now it makes sense."

Xander nodded. "Okay. Prove it." Xander looked at everyone sitting around the table. "Prove to me Dawn isn't real. Prove that this scar, where she hit me with a lawn dart two years ago, isn't real. Prove that last year she didn't buy those cheap earrings I can see Buffy still wearing right now."

"Hey!" Buffy put her hand up to the earrings, a gift from Dawn she truly cherished.

"See, I don't think you can. So I don't care if some strange guy in a ratty bathrobe spins some crazy story about Dawn being a 'Key'. I don't care if your vision says she's made out of gooey green energy. Cause you know what? It just doesn't matter." The tone of Xander's voice had filled with increasing conviction and certainty. "She's as real to me as Buffy or the rest of you. And as far as I can tell that's just as good a theory as that guy's, and that's what I'm living by."

Xander's face was slightly flushed and he was breathing a little hard. He forced himself to calm down. The others were nodding their heads with thoughtful expressions. He turned and spoke directly to Buffy. "I don't know why, okay, but some demon hell bitch wants her, right? Okay, we deal. We'll protect her. All of us. We won't let anybody hurt your sister." Xander looked around at all his friends again and sat, slightly embarrassed over his outburst.

Giles was the first to say something. "Xander may have something there. If she really is human, and all our memories are consistent... meta-physically we may have no way of proving Dawn is not real." Giles stopped and shook his head a little to try and work things out.

"Good," said Xander, glad at least one of the gang was on his side. He looked up at Buffy who started smiling, a small one at first but quickly growing to a brilliant sunny smile.

"Thank you, Xander. You're right. You're absolutely right!"

"I am?" Xander couldn't help the big goofy grin forming on his face. "Really?" Buffy nodded her head. "Can I get that in writing? And notarized?"

She slapped him playfully and gave him a quick hug.

Giles stepped in with a dose of reality. "I would remain cautious and not ignore everything the monk said. Between the sudden appearance of that sphere, which I don't think is coincidence, this Beast or hell bitch or whatever, and since Cordelia's vision seems to independently confirm it, I think we should at least tentatively accept some of what we were told. We need to research this very thoroughly, particularly about this Beast and its goals. If this thing poses a danger to Dawn, and potentially to us and the world, for whatever reason, then we need to know its motives, its strengths and weaknesses."

The gang murmured their agreement. Giles said he would start looking through some texts he thought might be relevant and asked Willow and Tara to do their usual work on the Internet. Buffy said she would start keeping her ears open, maybe even try to interrogate some demons. Riley said he still had some contacts in the government who might know something.

---

Xander wandered out of his bedroom. "Hey Cordy, you ready to--" He stopped when he noticed Cordelia speaking on the phone, obviously in the final moments of her call.

"You too. And give my love to Gunn. Bye." Her wide smile faded when she hung up, replaced by a sad wistful expression as she stared at the phone.

Xander tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Hey. You about ready to go?"

Startled by the touch she looked up to see Xander half-way into his jacket. "Oh. Good morning, Xander," she answered listlessly.

Xander waved his hand at the phone. "L.A.?"

"Yeah, um, yeah. That was, uh, Wesley."

"And everything is... good down there?" Although he had put most of his issues with Angel behind him, recognizing and accepting they had stemmed from a childish jealousy he still sometimes felt, Xander refused to ask about him directly. "Wesley's okay?"

"Sure. Peachy."

"Peachy," echoed Xander. And for reasons he couldn't explain he found the next question incredibly difficult to ask, swallowing hard in the middle. "You're going back then, huh?"

Her head snapped up. "What?"

"Everything is good in L.A.. Peachy. A whole bushel of fruity goodness. You've given us the message, y'know, from your vision, so I guess that means your job here is done. So you'll be heading back to Tinsel Town, right?"

"Well, no, not exactly. Wesley's okay. Gunn too." She smiled sadly, for she greatly missed her friends. Then her expression got cold and and a trace of bitterness edged her voice. "But apparently Angel is still being a dickhead." Realizing her anger wasn't going to do any good for anybody Cordelia sighed and forced herself to let it go. "Dawn is still in danger, no changes there. Unless the visions say otherwise, I'm staying-here-in-good-ole-Sunnydale girl."

Xander felt himself relax, an odd sense of relief sweeping through him. He hadn't realized how tense he had gotten hearing Cordelia might be leaving. His original worries, that having Cordelia for a roommate would be nothing but trouble, had turned out to be wonderfully misplaced. In fact, during the rare moments he was truly honest with himself, Xander could admit it was turning out pretty darn well. She didn't actually insult him very often, and even when she did they were half-hearted or obviously just teasing. Their verbal skirmishes lacked the calculated viciousness they had after their breakup and had regained some of the light teasing quality they used to have when they were a couple.

The only real difficulty was his growing feelings toward her. Xander was unable to deny it, even as he stayed in control and made sure she didn't notice anything. He knew she _would_ eventually return to L.A. and he knew that day was going to hurt more than he once thought possible.

"Look, if you want to skip out on Buffy's move that's fine. You can drop me off on campus and take my car to L.A. to, y'know, check in with the gang. Call me if you decide to stay and I'll figure out a way to get the car back."

Her head whipped around, her face registering surprise. "No, Xander! I said I'm staying."

"Bu--"

"The sooner you stop talking the better for everyone." She fetched her purse and got into her sweater while he waited by the door. Then he waited some more as she made one last dash to the bathroom to check and fix her appearance, and then they were off.

---

"Hey, will Mr. Dork and Mr. Moron get their butts over here and actually help?" yelled Cordelia, who was in the middle of putting some pencils in a box.

Xander, who had Riley in a headlock, asked him, "Am I the dork, or the moron?"

Riley, about to lift Xander up into a suplex onto the mattress, looked puzzled as he thought about it. "You're the dork," he finally answered, "I think."

"And you're the moron?"

"Yeah, think so."

"Okay. Just so we're straight."

They both simultaneously broke their holds on each other.

"I've _got_ a girlfriend, so we know I'm straight," Riley teased. "But you..."

"And that's supposed to imply something? Moron?"

The two roughhousers immediately went into a clench again, pushing each other around Buffy's cluttered dorm room, crashing into the desk and knocking over a stack of CDs and a bag of stakes.

This time Buffy interceded. "Hey! Don't make me enroll you in the Slayer school of hard-knocks. And I mean that in the literal!" She smacked her fist into her palm for show and emphasis.

The two boys jumped apart again, pointing at each other.

"He started it," they whined.

"Does it look like I care?" Buffy's mock scowl was enough to send Xander scurrying about picking up boxes. He raced out the door, leaving a very chagrined Riley behind to continue loading up. Buffy broke up into a fit of giggles after Riley disappeared into the other room to gather more things.

"Boys!" Cordelia rolled her eyes, and received an agreeing look from Willow.

"I don't know. I think they're kinda cute when they horse around," commented Tara, who had just wandered in for the tail end of the ruckus.

Cordelia looked up from dropping Beany Babies into a box. "You're nuts. You know that, right?" she said, her words softened by the friendly smile and tone.

"Maybe," Tara agreed with a small smile. "I've got two younger brothers, and Xander and Riley sometimes remind me of them."

"Just two brothers?" asked Cordelia, intrigued, as it seemed she had yet to meet anyone other than Buffy with siblings.

"Three. I have an older one, too." Tara's smile lost some of it's happiness.

"Yeah? So what's your family like?" Riley asked as he re-entered the room, hefting a large box. Tara picked up a stack of sheets and walked out with him, her answer lost as they disappeared into the hallway and around the corner. Soon after, Xander came back from dropping off his load.

Looking around quickly, Willow ducked into the hallway to make sure Tara was not around. She came back in and motioned for everyone's attention. "Guys, guys, tomorrow night, eight o'clock, it's all set!"

"All set?" asked a perplexed Buffy.

"Bronze. Tara's party." Willow sighed, slightly annoyed her best friend had forgotten.

"Party?"

"Tara's birthday party. Remember? I mentioned it a couple of days ago and you were all cheers and party mood then!"

"Oh that. Yup, we'll be there!" Xander cheerfully answered. "With the Party favors and the, uh presents, and the food. Right, Buff? Par-tay! Yes, fun!" Buffy quickly nodded her head and turned away, taking her load down to the car.

Cordelia gave Xander a suspicious look.

---

A short while later Cordelia and Xander carried the last of Buffy's boxes toward his already overloaded car. A hint of a smile played on his lips as Xander pretended to listen to Cordelia's litany of complaints about working on her day off.

"Ah yes," he answered when she finally ran down, "all the sitting about, the ever needful sarcasm, telling everyone about the sacrifice of giving up your beauty sleep. Awful, just awful. I feel for you, Cordy, I really do."

She didn't rise to the bait. "Just keeping you and Riley from breaking everything in sight is more than I should have had to bear. And Giles was no help at all! Kept crying about a double deviated hernia or something."

Xander smirked and said nothing. They soon reached the car and Xander opened the back door to stuff in the last box.

"So," Cordelia said to his back, "What did you get her?"

Xander backed out of the car and looked up, confused. "Huh? Get who what?"

"Tara. What did you get her? Birthday gift, remember?"

"Oh, that..." he turned away from her as he continued. "Well, it's something. Something very--"

Cordelia stepped in front of him and blocked his hurried attempt to open the front door, her stern expression a mix of amused exasperation and genuine disappointment. For the briefest moment he stared, transfixed by her, as he marveled at how much she could say with just a down-turned mouth and a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't get her anything, did you?"

"Well I meant to," he waffled. "I want to. I will. Really. I like her a lot, and she's really very nice. But it's, it's just..." He floundered when he couldn't explain himself.

"Just? Just what?" She leaned back against the car, arms crossed, preventing him from getting in. "I can't wait to hear Xander's reason for failing to get a friend a birthday gift! Well?"

Xander's face contorted in concentration as he tried to think of a good excuse. But he had none and so instead opted to honestly state his predicament. He had learned the hard way the truth was always better with Cordelia Chase.

"She's been with Willow for almost a year, okay? But in a lot of ways it's like I still hardly know her. This whole thing with Willow...it's new, the Wicca vibe and all. But she's still Willow, and I can always eventually figure out what to get her.

"But Tara..." he shook his head in confusion. "I just know she's really nice and she likes Willow." He gave a quick laugh. "And it seems like she knows lamer jokes than I do. Okay, that's beside the point. Other than that," he shrugged, "I don't have a clue. Look, I have a day, I'll figure something out." He stopped and looked at her curiously. "What did _you_ get her?"

"Oh, I've already found the perfect gift." His eyes widened in surprise and she glared in return. "But you, Xander, you'd never figure it out if you had a lifetime. I don't know why I should, especially on my day off, but I'm going to do you a favor."

"A favor? You actually know what one of those is?"

"Something you don't deserve, but I'm feeling charitable today for some reason. I just have one word for you, Xander, one word."

"Yes?" Seeing her get oddly intense like this he got a little anxious and edged back a tiny bit.

Cordelia caught the motion and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Are you listening to me, Xander?"

Promptly he stepped forward again. "Oh, yeah! Here. See? Me listening. Right here. A favor. One word, you said?"

Satisfied he was paying full attention she let him have it.

"Jewelry"

"What?"

"Jewelry."

"But she's Wiccan. And she already has Willow."

"_Not_ Jewry, matzo-balls-for-brains! Jew-well-rey!" Cordelia slowly pronounced each syllable. "When in doubt, when all else fails, when you have _no_ idea what to get a girl: jewelry."

At first Xander's eyes lit up but then he became downcast and his shoulders slumped. "Thanks for the thought, Cordy, but I can't really afford anything like that."

"Yes, yes, diamonds are a girl's best friend," she waved dismissively, "but even I've learned there _are_ suitable alternatives. There's a nice store around the corner from ours. I'm taking you there as soon as we drop off Buffy's junk."

---

They entered the cool and tastefully decorated store, Cordelia with an easy confident air born of familiarity, Xander hesitant and overawed, head swiveling rapidly as he took in all the glittering displays flashing in every color of the rainbow.

Xander took another long look around and swallowed hard. "Cordy, I don't thi--"

"The semi-precious jewelry section is over there." She waved him over to the back of the store. When he didn't move and only looked more bewildered she arched a brow. "It's the stuff _you_ can afford."

He made a silent "ah", and headed off in the indicated direction.

She remained in the section with the diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It wasn't Tiffany's or Van Cleef & Arpels, but the brilliantly sparkling baubles on display were impressive nonetheless. She looked longingly at the beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets she couldn't afford anymore and sighed. After a few minutes wistfully gazing at a pair of diamond earrings she sighed again and went to join Xander, for he was who he was and would most definitely need her help.

Coming up beside him she looked over his shoulder to see what he was interested in. He seemed to be focusing on a multi-colored amber pendent set on a delicate silver chain. The pendant was formed of three square pieces of amber, each of a slightly different shade in red, yellow and green, arranged in-line as a rectangle. Sensing her presence behind him he glanced over. "This one," he confidently told her.

"You surprise me Xander. It's beautiful." She gave him a approving smile. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."

Cordelia waited outside while he completed the purchase. He soon joined her and now that their mission was accomplished they stood together awkwardly, blinking in the California sun on this unusually warm day.

"I'm glad you found something. It's very nice and I know she'll like it." She paused, as if waiting for his turn to say something. When he didn't she turned to go but was stopped unexpectedly by Xander's hand on her arm. She flicked her eyes down at the hand on her arm then back at him, her expression blank.

"Cordy, I just... Thanks. I really don't know what I would have done. Thank you for helping me."

Her once expressionless face transformed into a warm and dazzling smile, and she tipped her head. "It was my pleasure." Then her smile disappeared. "But Xander?"

"Hmm?" he asked, wary.

"A word of warning. Jewelry is good. Almost always. But if that's all you ever get someone it means you don't care enough to find out what a girl really likes. Tara is more than just 'Willow's girlfriend'. Get to know her. Get to be her friend too." She reached up and gently straightened the lapel on Xander's coarse cotton work-shirt and smoothed it down flat, her hand lingering on his chest marginally longer than necessary. "Now I have important things to do, non-losers to be with, better places to be." She flashed him a last impish grin and walked off.

Xander stood rooted to the spot he was in, watching her walk away, strangely noting how her hair shone in the sunlight. He was still staring for several seconds after she had disappeared around the corner before he finally shook himself. The woman never ceased to amaze and surprise him. With a soft snort and a quick shake of his head Xander turned in the opposite direction and whistled tunelessly as he walked with a light step back to his car.

---

Cordelia and Giles were heading to the Bronze directly from The Magic Box, while Xander stopped at home to clean up some cuts incurred during the fight that had ended just before Tara's family arrived to take her away. As Xander cleaned a scrape he giggled as he remembered their faces when the Maclay clan was told to beat it out of town.

While passing Willy's he did a double-take, nearly hitting a parked car, when he saw Riley exiting the demon bar with a girl who was obviously not Buffy. He quickly pulled over and jumped out. Riley didn't notice him until Xander skidded to a stop in front of him and the girl.

Xander wasn't sure what the situation was and put on a front of false good cheer. "Hey Riley! Haven't seen you around in awhile, man." He clapped Riley on the back and winked at him ridiculously. "Who's the babe?"

Riley had started clenching his jaw as soon as Xander showed up. This was not something he had any kind of reasonable explanation for and he just wanted Xander to go away.

"Uh, Xander, yeah. Umm..." Riley looked sideways at the girl beside him giving him a quizzical looks. "Yeah, this, this is Sandy. She's... my sister. Visiting from out of town." He groaned inwardly at the lameness of the lie.

"Sister? Really? But I thought you only..." Xander looked unsure of himself as he glanced back and forth between Riley and Sandy, suddenly ashamed for thinking the worst. "Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Hi, I'm Xander, a friend of Riley's." He put his hand out to shake Sandy's, yanking it back when he heard her growl ominously. Xander shot a startled look of surprise at Riley, who was already in motion, his hand flashing out to stake the vampire.

Wordlessly they stared down at the pile of dust between them, Riley deeply embarrassed, Xander shocked. Xander finally looked up at Riley, as angry as he'd ever been. "You got an explanation for that?" he pointed at the ground.

Riley had the decency to look ashamed. He shook his head but said nothing.

Xander calmed himself down before he spoke. "This got anything to do with Buffy?"

Riley looked up quickly and started to deny it, "N--" He stopped and sighed. "Do I seem kittenish to you?"

"Huh?" It was not quite the explanation he was expecting.

"Uh, never mind. Forget it."

"Sure." Xander nodded his head sympathetically but was still angered. "Damn it, Riley, didn't you listen to anything I said last week? Huh?" He rapped Riley's head with his knuckles. "We got a learning disability here?"

Riley winced but gave no answer.

"Okay, let's start with the basics. Do you love her?" He saw Riley glance down at the blowing dust. "Buffy, I mean!"

"You know I do," Riley said in a small pleading voice.

"And you _were_ listening to me before?"

"Yeah. Xan--"

"Shut up!" Xander flicked his hand in the direction of Willy's. "Why this, then? What the hell are you thinking?"

"She-- I feel like--" Riley looked up at Xander with imploring eyes. "It's like, it's like I've been put away on the shelf. She's shutting me out. And, I don't know, I just..."

Xander nodded in understanding. "Yes, she shuts down. We've been over this before. But if you say you love her, and if you really mean it, then you've got to stay strong! First for yourself, and then for her. You have to believe me. It may not seem like it sometimes, but she does need you. For God's sake don't fuck it up. Take it from me, I've been there. Don't do anything stupid you're going to regret. Don't screw up the best thing that's happened to you."

Xander relented. "C'mon, we got a party to get to."

Riley looked up, surprised. "You're not going to tell Buffy?"

Xander shook his head. "No, not _this_ time. You've got one more chance. Make the most of it."

Xander started walking back to the car, Riley falling in line. They walked a few steps when Riley asked, "You and Cordelia?"

Xander shrugged and kept his eyes looking straight ahead. "Yeah. Buffy told you that story?"

"Uh huh."

Xander let out two years worth of guilt-ridden sigh. "I knew I had a good thing going with her, but...I-I don't know...I... for some reason I thought I needed more. Or something. I don't know. Looking back on it I think I was just plain stupid. And selfish. Nearly getting her killed didn't make it any better either. I just didn't realize how good I had it until too late."

He turned to look at Riley and make sure his friend got the message. "Don't let that happen to you." Riley nodded his agreement. Xander halted and put an arm across to block Riley and turned to fully face the taller man. "And don't _ever_ do something like that to Buffy, or I'll have to kill you." Xander held his serious pose for another moment before he grinned and lightly cuffed Riley's shoulder.

With the tension eased, Riley laughed and threw a lazy punch back, which Xander easily dodged.

"Alright Xander, message received loud and clear."

---

Xander and Riley entered the Bronze and quickly spotted the far table where the party was just getting started. It was a busy night and they had to wade into the crowd and force their way through. Riley, seeing Buffy appear at the table, stopped, overcome with renewed uncertainty.

Xander refused to let him get cold feet and pulled him along, skirting around the pool tables. Just before arriving at the table Xander brought them up short. "We're about to enter another dimension," he intoned. "Not only of drink and dance but of merry females. This will be a journey which few men have come out unscathed. Time to get our testosterone on." They manfully squared their shoulders and resumed their approach to the table surrounded by all the women in their lives.

Riley indicated a figure on the far side of the table, engaged in conversation with Joyce. "But Giles is--"

"He's British, doesn't count. Thinks football is some sissy game where they can't even use their hands." Xander snorted.

"Gotcha."

There were warm smiles and loud raucous greetings all around as the two men joined in. Seeing that everyone was present Buffy called for their attention. She gave Giles the signal and he left to go back behind the bar to fetch something.

"Guys, guys! Everyone quiet down. Yes, that includes you, Xander."

Xander sheepishly ducked his head and grinned foolishly.

"Okay, it's now time to ruin our figures. But it's all in a good cause, for we have some important celebrating to do." She looked back to check on Giles's progress. "I see my able assistant has ably performed his duties..." Buffy stood back from the table to let Giles through.

Giles was carrying a beautifully decorated cake, with little icing witches flying on their broomsticks around the side, glowing in the light of the twenty candles atop it. He placed it on the table with a restrained flourish.

Tara, already overwhelmed by the outpouring of friendship, good wishes and warmth from her new family simply goggled, mouth open in joyful shock at the scene before. It took her a moment to realize they were nearly finished singing to her and she hastily tried to wipe away her tears.

"Make a wish! Make a wish!" several people called out.

Tara looked around and nearly burst out in happy tears again. Drawing in a strengthening breath and getting a reassuring squeeze from Willow she got herself under control. Tara briefly closed her eyes, prayed for the safety of all her friends and family, and blew out the candles. The cheering drowned out the music for a few seconds and everyone called for the eating of cake and opening of presents.

She gave Giles a chaste kiss on the cheek for the crystal ball he had gotten her. He mumbled something about decorum and then proceeded to wander about with a small silly grin on his face. The aqua and muted purple cashmere sweater from Cordelia immediately replaced the one she was wearing and the hug she gave Cordelia was returned warmly. Tara was nearly speechless when she opened the box from Xander and saw the amber necklace nestled inside. She gave him both a hug and kiss which he accepted far more gracefully then Giles.

As Tara continued to open her other gifts Willow nudged Xander. "I just want to apologize. I thought you were lying when you said you already had something. That is just so beautiful, Xander, I had no idea you had such good taste."

"Well...I did have some good advice." He cast a quick glance at Cordelia, which Willow did not catch. She assumed it must have been Buffy and didn't say anything.

When some of the hubbub had died down and a song Xander liked began playing he was the first to claim a dance with the birthday girl. After dancing for a few bars Tara spoke up. "I wanted to say thank you, Xander. What you did, all of you, it meant a lot to me."

Xander accepted her appreciation with quick nod. But she wasn't done. Tara swallowed hard and blurted out, "I never meant to hurt anyone! I was just so scared what everyone would think, and, and--"

"Hey, hey, hey, Tara, easy. Calm down. Believe me, when it comes to screwing up magic spells, you're talking to an all-time Olympic gold-medalist here. Look, nobody really got hurt, and we got to kill some demons and bully some bullies. And now we get to party! You can't ask for much better than that on the Hellmouth."

"But you could've gotten seriously hurt! And then when you stood up to Donny for me--"

Xander's happy expression quickly changed, becoming intense and serious. "We protect our own, Tara." Then he chuckled lightly and defused the mood. "Through rain and hail and nasty demons, and, and... oh, I forget the rest." He changed the conversation before she had a chance to feel any more embarrassed by anything she'd done. "So can you explain that thing again with the bug in the mirror?"

She explained about the meaning of the various types of "spirit reflections" and got him to laugh a little. "Not too bad, not too bad." He waggled his hand. "I'll give it a seven-point-five on the funny-meter. Now, where do you stand on elephant jokes?"

She gave him an odd look. "Elephant jokes? I don't know, I've--"

He grinned wolfishly, eager to introduce her to a whole brave new world of awful jokes. "Let's try an easy one, one of the best. Ready?"

She prepared herself for the worst, playfully flexing her shoulders and putting on a scowling I'm-ready-for-anything-do-your-worst expression. "Ready! Riddle your worst!"

"Why do elephants sleep on their backs with their feet in the air?"

Cordelia had been paying attention to Xander and Tara dance and talk, watching as Tara's initial awkward discomfort faded away with each passing moment with Xander. She watched as Tara intently listened to Xander for a few seconds and then break into laughter. She wondered what he had said and was glad to see him finally connecting with Tara, nodding in silent private approval.

The party soon got into full swing, some people dancing, others in shifting clusters of conversation as people drifted from one group to another. At one point Buffy chatted with Tara, while Riley and Willow danced to a fast number. Cordelia discussed the latest fashion trends in L.A. with Joyce. Xander was losing badly in a game of pool with Giles, grumbling about all the free work at the Magic Box he was going to owe if he didn't get a steadier shot.

When the fast song ended a tired Willow returned to the table, but Riley was all jazzed up and wanted to dance some more. Buffy, who had been doing plenty of dancing wanted to continue her conversation with Tara and desisted. He looked about and with only the slightest hesitation stepped over to Cordelia and asked her for the next dance.

Though surprised, she agreed as she had been getting a little into the groove herself and was hoping to do more than just sit and talk, even as pleasant as that had been. Cordelia was relieved to discover that although he was a bit long-limbed and oafish, Riley was actually a pretty decent dancer. She was able to really enjoy herself as she showed off some of her best moves much to the appreciation of the males around her.

The song ended and Cordelia thanked Riley as they returned to the table. When the next song began Xander and Willow took to the dance floor while Tara unsuccessfully tried to pull Giles out. Tara gave up with a laugh and rejoined the group at the table. Cordelia watched as Dawn, running off to cause some more mayhem, cut across her line of sight. Leaning back in her seat, rapidly puffing out the collar her dress to cool herself, Cordelia felt content as she let the flow of music and conversation wash over her.

"Having a good time, Xander?" Willow asked as they began dancing. A tiny worry line had formed on her forehead and Xander had the sudden urge to gently rub that worry line away. "I'm having a great time, Will!"

Glancing around Xander at the the table she asked, "Do you think Cordelia is having a good time?"

They turned and Xander also looked over at Cordelia, who was back in deep conversation with Giles and Joyce. He grunted in a non-committal way. "Maybe, I guess."

"Why haven't you danced with her?"

"Huh?"

"You've danced with Tara, Buffy twice, Dawn once. Even a couple of girls you don't know. But not Cordelia. Why?"

"I hadn't realized. Hmm. It's not as if I _don't_ want to dance with her or anything. I dunno. Guess I just don't want to ruin anything with her."

"Ruin anything? There's a something to ruin? You guys aren't getting back together, are you?" she asked rhetorically. Then her eyes opened wide and she looked concerned. "Are you?"

"No!" he hastily told her. "It's just, after our talk a few days ago, it got me to thinking. It does seem kinda of weird, her being my roommate, after all of, well, everything. What's weirder is we're getting along pretty well, which kind of surprises the hell out of me, and..." Xander paused. "And I like it," he admitted. Though almost surprised at what he was admitting, as he did so he became certain. He really did like it. A lot. He looked back down at Willow. "I don't want to mess that up."

"And dancing with her is going to mess things up?"

"Hell yes! Dancing is holding and touching and can lead to all kinds of... I just don't think it would be a good idea." He was unsure how he knew, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Willow decided to go easy on him. "Xander, it's okay to dance with her. I won't mind," she made a face, "much. Buffy won't mind," she shrugged as they turned to the music, "Dawn probably won't. And Cordy won't mind. Have at least one dance with her before the night is over, okay?"

Xander looked at his best friend in abject surprise. "Why do you want me to dance with her so badly? You guys aren't friends, why the sudden concern?"

"Oh, it's nothing like that." Willow scrunched her face as she worked out the best way to say what she meant. "She shouldn't be left out. Last week got you to thinking and today got me to thinking. About all of us. Remember? We're family. And she may be like the snooty stuck-up aunt, the one nobody likes, that just came back from her whirlwind tour of Europe," Willow shrugged her shoulders, "but she's still... family."

Xander nodded his head thoughtfully and they finished their dance in comfortable silence. The song ended and a slow number started. Xander nodded to Willow as Tara approached and he started back toward the table. Tara smiled shyly at Willow and they put their arms around each other, drawing themselves close as they begin to dance together.

As Xander approached the table Riley was holding out his hand to Buffy. "Milady, may I have this dance?" Buffy, who had been doing pensive face since her discussion with Riley, beamed brightly at him and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. He held her in his arms and she sighed contently and wrapped her arms around him.

Xander, looking at the dancers swaying to the music, pursed his lips a moment before turning toward Cordelia. "Cordy, would, umm..." She gazed steadily at him, not cold or challenging, but not inviting either. He puffed out a breath and started over. "Would you like to," he inclined his head in the direction of the dance floor, "dance?"

She didn't respond immediately and he was just about to turn and get something to drink at the bar when she said yes. He smiled broadly in response to her own smile and he took her hand.

With a little awkwardness at first they finally managed to hold hands, his other arm lightly resting on her waist with his hand at the small of her back, her hand on his shoulder. They stood apart chastely and began to dance.

Though this was not nearly as close as they used to dance Xander's eyes closed momentarily, reveling in her touch and presence, his hand sliding to the curve of her hip, her bosom occasionally brushing against his chest as they moved.

He opened his eyes and asked her, "Having a good time?"

"Good time and this loser crowd? I'd forgotten how funny you can be sometimes, Xander."

"I mean, _before_ this dance."

"Well, I guess." Cordelia looked down, but he could see she was smiling, and he smirked.

"Come on!" he teased her. "You are, and you know it."

"Well..." When she finally looked back up she was scowling at his presumption but he could read her well enough to know it was all show.

"Sure, I understand." His smirk briefly became a broad and open grin before he let it fade. He nodded in secret understanding before gazing off into the distance as they swayed and turned to the rhythm of the music.

Cordelia looked about as they turned with the music. She saw Willow and Tara together in a close loving embrace, not really dancing at all anymore, but rather just swaying slightly...and floating just above the floor? She smiled at that.

In the other direction, over Xander's right shoulder she saw Buffy dancing with Riley only a few paces away. They were talking and giving each other silly grins before Buffy lay her head against his chest and Riley held her tight.

Looking the other way as they turned, she saw Giles sitting by the table, his face a little flushed and he looked distinctly out of place in all his tweed. Joyce was scolding Dawn for some inconsequential infraction. Dawn hardly appeared chastised at all and promptly ran off again and Giles gave Joyce a knowing yet sympathetic nod.

In that moment Cordelia wondered why she'd ever left Sunnydale, left this, her real family. She knew there were difficulties ahead. Getting along with Buffy was always an exercise in patience and forbearance. And Willow could be as snippy and whiny as a little poodle. But they were still family and they had welcomed her back with open arms. The small smile Cordelia had been trying to hide grew to its full megawatt brilliance when she looked back at Xander.

And how odd was that? she wondered. They seemed to be getting along so well, it was sometimes hard to remember why they'd broken up. Her smile faltered a little as she suddenly did remember the betrayal and the pain he'd caused. But right here and now it seemed so long ago, as if it had all happened to entirely different people and her smile returned to its full radiance.

"Maybe I am. Just a little."

_To be continued..._


	5. Somebody to Lean On

**Title:** Segue

**Summary:** What we all need

**Warnings**: none

**Spoilers**: BtVS:Shadow

**Acknowledgment**: As always, my thanks and appreciation to Theo for his many helpful suggestions.

**AN:** The title of this chapter is taken from "Lean On Me", recorded by The Temptations (and other, lesser groups).

**AN2:** Seems it's been about eight months since I last updated this story. That's bad, very bad, and I apologize. On the other hand, part 5b should be ready within the next couple of weeks.

* * *

**Part 5a: Somebody To Lean On**

Despite the bandages Riley had carefully wrapped around her, Buffy still winced from the sharp tearing sensation in her side when she was startled by the sound of her mother's approaching footsteps.

Joyce poked her head over Dawn's shoulder. "Are you disinfecting something?" she asked, her nose wrinkling at the sharp and pungent odor of alcohol.

Buffy looked desperately at Riley, who was concentrating on appearing as if he were not concentrating on stealthily hiding the first-aid supplies. "Huh? Oh, uh--"

"Mine! All mine," piped up Dawn. "Cordy had been showing me a trick you could do to-to, ah, to make nail polish extra shiny. But I must have got something wrong." She grinned apologetically. "Nope, I'll never do that again without professional supervision." Dawn made a crossing motion over her heart and looked appropriately regretful.

Joyce's smile was indulgent. "Cordelia's a sweet girl, I'm sure, Dawn, but don't you think you should be hanging out with kids your own age?" Joyce patted Dawn on the arm, gave Buffy and Riley a mother's tolerant but knowing look and left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

A very smug Dawn smirked and bounced on her toes in a tiny victory dance. "Did I just pull a slayer-related mom cover-up thing or what? Come on, who's the man?"

"You are. A very short, annoying man." Buffy gave Dawn a disapproving frown. "And since when have you been hanging out with Cordelia?"

Dawn's happy expression faded back to her more usual sulky, sullen teenager demeanor and she refused to answer.

Buffy sighed. If the monks had had to make Dawn from scratch, why did they have to make her be friends with Cordelia? She sighed again. "If I show you something, you promise you won't tell?"

Dawn's eyes lit with the promise of getting to see something cool. She quickly crossed her heart again and made a zipping motion across her mouth. Buffy lifted the hem of her blouse to reveal the bandages underneath, completely surrounding her midriff. A small blood stain was already beginning to show through.

"Oh, neat!" Buffy's expression darkened. "I mean, gross!. I mean, ouch! What happened? Is it serious?"

Buffy was about to rebuke Dawn for her childish reaction until she saw how genuinely worried Dawn was.

"Mom can not know! Okay? You'll help me with the household stuff?"

"Oh, sure. I save your butt and you dump all your chores on me." Dawn waved off Buffy's look and sat down next to her, their shoulders brushing lightly. "I got it. You're covered. We're good. Just lucky it's not bikini season."

Buffy smiled and reached up to run her fingers through Dawn's hair. Although aware Riley was present, the sound of his seemingly over-loud baritone voice surprised her.

"So Dawn takes household duty. And I'll take tonight's patrol." He packed up the last few items and snapped shut the first-aid kit.

"You don't need to do that, Riley. One night without a patrol, no biggie. I'll just catch them tomorrow."

"It's okay, Buffy, I want to. Really."

"Well," she demurred, "then you shouldn't do it by yourself."

"It'll just be a quick sweep." Riley nodded, but his tone was defensive. "I'll stay out of trouble."

"Hmmm. Do me a favor? Take the gang with?"

"Even nail-polish girl?" Riley cracked a smile to show he was half-kidding.

Buffy appeared to reconsider for a few seconds but her face soon cleared. "Those guys covered for me for a whole summer. Even Cordy. So yeah, her too. Maybe she'll get a splinter and provide some entertainment if it's a light night." Buffy smiled brilliantly. "And don't be afraid to use her as bait."

Riley chuckled along. "Okay. I'll go with the whole group tonight."

Dawn, who had been looking on the whole time, spoke up. "When do I get to patrol?"

"Not until you are never!"

---

"Ouch! Staked with your own stake." Xander shook his head in sympathy as he stopped the car outside the looming cemetery gates. "Man, that's got to be a Buffy first. Is she okay?" He glanced up at Riley's reflection in the rear-view mirror and, though worried about Buffy, couldn't help quirking his lips into a smile at the sight of the lanky man crammed between Tara and Willow.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. In time. She just needs the night off for some R&R."

"But she's okay?" asked a concerned Willow.

"Let me out of here first before I answer that," insisted Riley.

The doors popped open and everyone piled out, Riley last, sliding across the seat and ducking his head before standing and stretching.

Xander led the way to the back of the car. "You figure just this night off? Or longer?"

"It _should_ be longer. Buffy deserves a vacation!" Willow was quite firm.

Riley nodded his head in silent agreement before answering Xander. "I don't know. The penetration was pretty deep, but it didn't hit anything vital and it didn't look like any splinters broke off. You tell me. You know how fast she can recover better than I."

Xander gave it some thought as he unlocked and opened the trunk, revealing two large, black duffel bags. He lifted out one and Riley grabbed the other. "Well, I don't think it's a matter of physical recovery. Will's right, she's got enough to worry about with the latest big bad after Dawn and her mom's illness. And all that on top of the regular slaying. She should have a break. We'll pick up the slack as long as she needs."

"Darn tootin'!" Willow agreed.

"We'll likely get our asses handed to us," sniffed Cordelia. "You all remember how well we _didn't_ do the last time El Buffo took a powder."

Willow made a long face. "That's not fair, Cordelia!"

"Well it's true. You were practically the Three Stooges."

Riley was starting to get a bad feeling about this patrol if these guys were as bad as initial signs were indicating.

"There were four of us, Cordy," corrected Xander.

She nodded her head. "Right. The Three Stooges. And me. And only sixty-percent dusted. Like I said, stooges."

Riley's brow wrinkled while he did the math. If they had been out there all summer, and had a sixty-percent kill ratio, that would make them almost as good as the most experienced squads in the Initiative. Better than most in fact, since they experienced zero casualties. He whistled at the irony that they thought they had done badly. He began to reassess his initial impressions.

Willow's frown cleared quickly when she remembered what she had brought. "But at least we'll be able to put those vamps in their place before they kill us. I really prepared this time, take a look." She pulled out a sheet of paper from her coat pocket and carefully unfolded it, smoothing out the creases as best she could.

"You got a strategy there?" Interested, Riley came over to take a look and stood behind Willow.

"Well...not exactly." Willow fidgeted and seemed embarrassed as Riley started reading over Willow's notes. Riley soon shook his head in disgust and stalked off toward the gates. Maybe his initial impressions were right after all.

"But it's almost as important!" Willow called after him.

"She worked very hard on it," attested Tara. She turned to her girlfriend and patted Willow on the arm. "I think you did a very good job."

Willow leaned over and gave Tara a quick kiss.

Curious, Xander took the sheet from Willow, pulling on his lower lip in concentration as he scanned the notes, while Cordelia read over his shoulder. Unlike Riley, Xander was nodding his head in clear approval. "Yeah, you got some good ones here, Will. A little heavy on the Dirty Harry, but nothing wrong with that."

He made a significant look toward the star-filled sky and flicked the paper about halfway down. "Shouldn't this one be 'Make my night'?

The girls looked at him.

"Uh, uhm, okay, that didn't sound so naughty in my head."

Cordelia snorted. "Says the pervie with a linoleum kink."

Willow and Tara exchanged confused glances as Xander scowled at Cordelia. What once would have been a fond recollection was now just another unpleasant reminder of if-onlys. Cordelia smirked, blissfully unconcerned by any effect her comment had on Xander.

Deciding to ignore her, Xander addressed Willow again. "Yeah, better keep it 'day'." He returned his attention to the sheet and read through the rest of the list. "And we should have more from Monty Python, y'think?"

"Bring out yer dead!" intoned Tara, causing both her and Willow to burst out in a fit of giggles. The Monty Python marathon last weekend at Xander's was still fresh in their minds. Even Cordelia smiled, though she turned slightly so the others couldn't see. Despite herself, she had sat through all the films with the rest of the gang, doing her own fair share of Python renditions.

Then she grimaced when she remembered next weekend was scheduled for a Mel Brooks "festival". She resolved to kill Xander if he followed through on his threat to re-create the campfire scene. She had already thrown away two cans of beans from Xander's cupboard and was keeping a sharp lookout for more.

"And next time let's include something from the Bronson oeuvre. But this is great work, Willow! Maybe you could whip up a database of this stuff, and we could have a fresh set every time we go out?"

Willow smiled her appreciation at Xander and she started thinking about how best she could implement Xander's suggestion.

Waiting over by the gate, Riley looked back in disbelief. "You guys are serious?! This is your big preparation?" he asked, making air-quotes. "A list of 'deadly' quips?" He shook his head, wondering again why he let Buffy convince him to take them along. This was not how an op should run! It was counter to everything he'd been trained for; so unprofessional as to be utterly ridiculous. Cordelia's claim to a sixty-percent kill ratio had to be way off. Way, way, wa-a-ay off.

"Well, someone once said humor was the best weapon," Xander pointed out.

"That's medicine." Riley groaned, not sure why he let himself get side-tracked into these kinds of discussions with Xander. "Humor makes the best medicine."

"Oh. I thought that was sugar."

"That _helps_ the medicine," Tara gently corrected.

Xander's eyes widened and he bobbed his head. "Ah, that would explain a lot." No wonder all those candy bars never seemed to help him got over his colds.

"Well anyways..." Xander shrugged off the subject and walked up to Riley. "No, Riley, that's not our big preparation." He reached and grabbed the duffel from Riley's hand, set it down and unzipped it. "This is." Riley looked hopeful, wondering what kind of weapons they thought would come in handy.

Xander shuffled through the contents and lifted out the first item while still digging around with his other hand. "Lessee, we got two kinds of salsa, hot and mild. Regular chips. Blue corn chips for Cordy--"

"Really? You remembered?"

Xander showed Cordelia the bag, giving it a little shake.

"Thank you!" Cordelia seemed genuinely pleased when she took the chips from Xander.

Riley was dumbstruck by what was going on right before his very eyes. He turned his back on the proceedings to block out the sight of them, but was still unable to keep from hearing them.

"Twinkies for me. Oh, Willow, I stopped at the off-campus store you guys like and picked up some organic muffins." He looked down at the labels. "Banana currant, and poppy seed."

"Thanks , Xand!" Willow gave his arm a squeeze.

Riley slapped his forehead and swore to himself he would never do this again no matter what Buffy said. He liked and respected Xander a lot. He liked Willow and Tara as well and was gaining an appreciation for the potential of their power. Even the new girl, Cordelia, he could begin to see some things to appreciate, especially if those visions proved reliable for pin-pointing future danger.

Xander was still pawing through the bag. "We also got coffee, and hot chocolate, and--"

But this was just too much! Riley snapped, turning abruptly to face his team. "This is a mission, people! There's no chips and salsa on missions! Where's the weapons, where's the--"

"First-aid kit?" During Riley's tirade Xander had reached into to the other duffel and was now waving a largish box bearing a bright red cross on it. While Riley stuttered to a halt, Xander reached back in and pulled out stakes, a hatchet, a short sword, two crosses, and a squirt-bottle of holy water. He began passing the weapons around, meanwhile giving Riley a mischievous grin. He handed the bag to Tara, put his arm around Riley's shoulders and pulled him aside. The girls sorted through the remaining items in the bag, keeping some, and reloading others.

"Look Riley, I know this is probably not how you usually like to operate. It's a little... unorthodox?"

This earned a snort from the ex-Special Ops leader. "Just a little, yeah!"

Xander continued smoothly. "We've been doing this for a lotta years. Me, Cordy and Willow have been fighting vamps since before you knew those nightmares of toothy, bumpy, slimy, scaly things were real. Don't let all this stuff fool you. We really do know what we're doing." Riley started to protest but Xander cut him off and looked up earnestly at the taller man. "Trust me?"

Riley bit his lip and looked very unhappy. He relented with a gusty sigh. "Okay, we'll see how it goes."

Xander grinned. "Good man! You'll see, we'll make a great team." He returned to the girls and they read through the list of quips again as they decided who got which lines.

Riley was still shaking his head as he led the way into the cemetery. They quieted down somewhat after entering but he still flinched with every word spoken and every chip crunched.

"Since at the moment I don't have my mouth or hands full of chips, I'll go ahead and scout around a bit. This is about where Buffy was attacked and the vamp headed off in that direction." He leaped off without waiting for approval. They slowed their pace, watching him go.

Xander paused his munching and watched Riley, awed by how he slipped from shadow to shadow, silent as a ghost. "Look at that," Xander mumbled around a mouth full of chips. "He's so cool! Like the best secret agent-man ever. Darn, I wish I could do that." He reached into the bag Tara was holding and grabbed another handful of chips.

Cordelia had also been watching Riley. She turned to look at Xander and raised her eyebrow inquiringly. "Speaking of linoleum, I thought you had all that army training. Couldn't you, like, fix something in 57 seconds?"

Xander shrugged. "I did, but it's been fading. About all I'm good for now is spit-shining my boots. And it was disassemble an M-16. Now maybe if I had the manual and 57 minutes I could--whoa!" Xander tripped over a stone, all the food in his hands flying. The loud grunt Xander made as he hit the ground, the crunching of all the broken chips, and the resulting laughter from the girls startled Riley, even as far away as he was.

Xander popped up quickly and hurriedly brushed himself off. Cordelia looked derisively at Xander as Tara and Willow tried to stop giggling. "Double-Oh Lame, I presume?"

Xander glared, snatched a chip from her hand, crammed it into his mouth and loudly chomped on it. He turned and ran off after Riley, who had paused his own advance and was crouched behind a large gravestone fifty yards ahead.

Even as Cordelia allowed herself a good laugh at Xander's expense and his childish behavior, she noticed that, while outwardly not as proficient as Riley, he actually moved just as quietly and quickly, taking an even better route with more shadows. The curve of her lips changed subtly and she nodded her head in grudging respect.

When Xander joined up with Riley the girls automatically spread out to watch and cover their flanks. A rustling from the north side of the cemetery made them all hush and duck. The rustling was soon revealed to be a leather-clad, mangy, Ace Frehley wannabe, casually striding over the graves, completely unconcerned with his surroundings. The vampire approached a crypt and carelessly hauled open the heavy iron door, the screeching hinges not bothering him at all. With the door opened the Scoobies heard laughter and yelling from inside, quickly cut off when the door screeched shut.

Cordelia watched Riley and Xander motion to each other with incomprehensible hand signals. They both swiftly crept forward to either side of the crypt and peered into the wire-covered openings. Watching Riley and Xander work together, seeing Riley's obvious competence and professionalism, Cordelia began thinking about some ideas that would help them on future patrols.

Ten minutes later they all rejoined back near the cemetery entrance. "They got a party going on in there?" asked Willow. Even from this distance they could now hear the raucous noise from the crypt as the vampire party apparently kicked into high gear.

Riley nodded grimly. "And we're not crashing this one." He wistfully looked back over his shoulder. "Not without better armament. But it looks like they've got it pretty cozy in there: they'll be around for awhile." Xander nodded his agreement. "We can come back and kill them later, during the day when they're sleeping. Let's try another cemetery."

They loaded back into the car and headed for Hilltop Cemetery. Two fruitless hours later, even after using Cordelia and then Tara as bait, Riley looked severely disappointed. "We may as well go, I don't think we'll be doing much good this night."

Cordelia immediately voiced her approval. "Well, hey, the night's still early. Let's go to the Bronze." It had been a chilly night and, even with the hot chocolate and the extra layers they wore, all of them were beginning to feel the effects. Tara vigorously nodded her head, and Willow also seemed inclined to agree though she would continue if they wanted to.

"All right then. Bronze it is." Xander retrieved the duffels and they headed back toward the car.

---

Xander parked a block away and they trooped through the alley leading to the Bronze. Every now and then the alley lit up as the doors opened to let someone in or out, each time the light was accompanied by a blast of noise.

Riley began to hang back as they approached. "Why don't you guys go on without me. I'm not really in a party mood. And I want to check on something."

Xander stayed beside Riley while the girls went on ahead. "You sure, man? I know it might not have looked like it tonight, but we really do know what we're doing."

"Yeah, I know. Kinda." Riley smiled. "Sure is hard to tell sometimes."

Xander returned his smile. "It has the vamps fooled, but I hear you." Xander dropped the smile. "Now, desperado, you're not about to ride off and do anything lone-wolfish and stupid, right?"

"Promise." Riley stood ram-rod straight and all but saluted. "After I check on Buffy there's some weaponry I want to track down, and then it's sack time. I want to be rested when we give those vamps a wake-up call they'll never remember."

Xander gave him a hard look.

"I swear," Riley promised, "I'll meet you at Giles' shop tomorrow and we can go after the nest in the morning, armed for bear." Xander's face settled into a relaxed and satisfied expression. Riley turned to leave, then stopped and called over his shoulder. "And sans salsa, please."

Xander, who also had started on his way back to the Bronze, looked supremely offended. "Hell yeah! Who wants salsa in the morning? That's just yuck. It'll be Fruit Loops for us!" He laughed when Riley threw up his hands and looked heavenward for help.

With an exaggerated, aggrieved head shake, Riley turned and started walking back down the alley, flinging his arms as though washing his hands of the whole matter. Xander, still chuckling, rejoined Willow, Tara, and Cordelia just as they were entering the club. Cordelia looked up at Xander's approach, noting the lack of Riley. Over Xander's shoulder she saw Riley transit a pool of streetlight back near the alley entrance. "Where's tall, dumb and dangerous going?"

"Be nice to my friends, Cordy. I have so very few of them," Xander scolded her lightly.

Cordelia shrugged and desisted from anymore comments.

Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Tara entered the Bronze and stopped just inside the entrance to take a moment and adjust to the noise and light. They edged their way further into the crowd while scanning for a free table or at least a space they could all fit in.

Xander let Tara and Willow move ahead before he shouted above the noise, just loud enough only Cordelia would hear. "He's says he's going to check on Buffy. And then he's just going home early. We'll meet tomorrow to deal with the vamps."

Cordelia had to raise her voice to answer him. "Well that's going to be difficult, because there's our fearless slayer right now." Cordelia pointed to a blond sitting alone at the bar, her back to them. Xander squinted but the woman didn't turn her head and he couldn't be certain from this angle.

When Xander turned to Cordelia to express his doubts he saw that Willow and Tara had snagged an empty table and were waving frantically at Cordelia and Xander to follow. Xander returned their wave and nodded his head before looking back at the bar. "How can you tell?"

Cordelia looked offended. "Oh, please. I'd recognize that color of hair-dye anywhere. Are you saying Riley didn't know she was here?"

"Didn't sound like it."

Cordelia shifted to face Xander. "Is there something going on with them?"

Surprised by the question, Xander quickly said, "Dunno." He'd promised Riley he wouldn't tell Buffy about Sandy, and figured he shouldn't tell anyone else either. He pointed across the club. "Hey, Willow and Tara found a table, let's go sit!" He took a couple of steps before he realized Cordelia wasn't following.

Xander sighed and came back. "Okay, look, Buffy's not saying anything to me, and Riley isn't saying much more, but I think they're in a kinda rough spot. Riley did say something once and..." Xander was chagrined and Cordelia looked at him inquisitively. "And maybe I'm talking too much. They have some stuff to work out." He peered at Buffy. "Maybe I should try talking to her again?"

"And you're what? The voice of experience with successful relationships?" Cordelia scoffed.

A hurt look flashed across Xander's face but quickly passed. His expression became serious. "I'm their friend, Cordy. Both of them." Xander checked to verify Willow and Tara were still at the table.

"And I'm not?" Cordelia's question caused Xander's head to snap back. He stared at Cordelia and she nodded her head once. "Okay, I'm not. But I still care. And you _are_ too close to the situation."

"And you're a fair and dis-interested observer, with sage advice to dispense?" Xander asked in airy and faintly mocking tones.

Cordelia smiled and patted him on the arm. "It's good we understand each other so well. Now go save me a spot and order a fancy de-caf drink for me, not too sweet."

Xander hesitated, pursing his lips. Cordelia noticed he hadn't left yet and she made a brushing motion with her hands. "Shoo, Xander, I've got work to do." She turned about and marched over to the bar. Xander watched her momentarily disappear into the crowd before he went to join Willow and Tara. A waitress was already there and he added his and Cordelia's order.

---

"Buffy."

Buffy's eyes widened before she turned to acknowledge the intruder. She scowled at Cordelia for a second and returned to her coffee drink.

The barista approached Cordelia to take her order but was impatiently waved off as Cordelia sat down without being invited.

Buffy let the silence drag on for a few minutes before she asked, "Where's Xander?"

"I'm not his keeper," Cordelia responded archly, "but if you must know, he's over there with Willow and Tara."

Buffy glanced around in the direction Cordelia had pointed. Neither girl said anything more for several long moments.

"Riley's fine, too, by the way, but he decided not to join us tonight--seemed wound a little too tight to enjoy our apres-slay relaxation." Cordelia didn't bother to mention Xander's speculation about his destination.

The mention of her boyfriend's name seemed to jar Buffy out of whatever funk she was preoccupied by. "He's alright? Patrol went okay?"

"Thanks for asking. Yes, he's good." The tenseness in Buffy's posture eased slightly. "We're all good; no one got hurt." She shrugged. "Neither did any vamps. Xander did slay a bag of chips, so that's something. But your friend had a bunch of home-boys back at the crypt. The odds were not in our favor and, with surprising intelligence I must say, Riley and Xander decided we should wait till the sun was on our side before we took out the nest."

Buffy smiled quickly but made no other response. Cordelia continued to stare at her.

"Can I give you some advice?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "This ought to be good. What, Dear Abby, should I spank this time?"

Cordelia pointedly ignored Buffy's jibe. "You know, I'm not the type to second-guess myself, and I make no apologies for my behavior. Ever. But that doesn't mean I don't have a few regrets."

Despite herself, Buffy's curiosity was piqued and she looked up at the taller girl beside her. "Really? Such as?"

"I sometimes wonder if it would have made a difference if..." Cordelia took a breath, "if I'd ever told him how I felt about him, back then."

"Huh?" Buffy's brow wrinkled in confusion.

Cordelia inclined her head back to where Xander was sitting and chatting with Willow and Tara. "Xander. Oh, don't get me wrong. He was the chief engineer in that romantic train wreck, no doubt at all." Cordelia looked down at the bar in front of her. "But still... would it have made any difference if he knew what I told you that night?"

"And this has what to do with anything advice-y? Pretend I might actually care."

Buffy noticed Cordelia make a visible effort to restrain herself. After she calmed down, Cordelia continued. "I don't like him much, but even I can tell he's in love with you. He's an easy read and I know where he stands. I'll bet he'd sacrifice almost anything for you. But have you figured out how you feel about him yet? Have you ever really told him?"

Buffy was incredulous. "Xander?!"

"Riley!" Cordelia shook her head. "Wow, being the slayer certainly doesn't improve you perceptive skills much, does it?"

Buffy's glare was almost enough to make her flinch. "Riley is a) mine, and b) none of your business!"

"Oh, I'll admit he's pretty salty--in a corn-bread kind of way--but he's not really my type. And anyway, I don't poach, even someone who's about to fly the coop."

"Fly the--? Riley's not going anywhere. I'd know."

"Would you? Doesn't seem to me like he's around much, considering he has nothing else to do _but_ be with you. Seems to me you've been letting him stand out in the cold." A note of sympathy crept into to Cordelia's voice. "Look, Buffy, if you don't love him, then fine, maybe it's time to let him go. But don't let him dangle."

Buffy shifted in her seat. "Riley takes care of himself. And I have to take care of Mom and Dawn. With that, and everything else, I don't have spare time just to hold hands and go on silly picnics with him. And as you reminded me, I _am_ the slayer. I'm the one who has to be out there, every night, saving everyone's butts. I'm the one who has to be on top of everything, all the time. So excuse me if I forget to keep my boyfriend in the loop, or he isn't getting all the attention he wants. I've got more than enough crap to deal with already."

Cordelia blinked. She swiveled on her stool to face Buffy. "Yep, you're the slayer, the point of the sword. You've got the calling and the responsibility. But what are you first? Buffy Summers? Or the slayer? Either way, how did you last this long? One of the longest living slayers in the last hundred years, according to Giles."

Cordelia abruptly got up and leaned in, putting her face inches from Buffy's. "Let me give you a hint: it wasn't by yourself. Whether or not you care to admit it, you got this far because of the rest of us. Even me. So don't keep whining your it's-just-me-against-the-world song, because it's way off-key. We're all here fighting right along-side you. Our choice. We--and I include Riley--are here to _help_ you. But that only works if you let us. We're ready. _Riley_ is ready. If you care at all about him don't shut him out."

Cordelia spun around and walked off in a dark mood. She suspected most of what she had just said had gone to waste, but she hoped Buffy at least got a bit of a wake-up call. Well, whatever, she'd done what she could. Cordelia saw Xander waving to her and her mood improved considerably.

---

Buffy's head was down as she walked home, still fuming over her rather one-sided conversation with Cordelia. She had learned to appreciate--or at least tolerate--Cordelia's forthrightness, But who was Cordelia to tell her how to figure out her life?! Cordelia had no idea how much was crashing down on her from all sides.

Cordelia couldn't know the helplessness which threatened to overwhelm her at every moment, how helpless she felt trying to protect her sister from a foe who had brushed her off like pocket lint, how helpless she felt trying to save her mom from something she couldn't even see, much less fight. She laughed bitterly. How could they even think they could help her against any of that when she, _The Slayer_, couldn't even stop an ordinary vamp.

Buffy felt as if that slayerness had been the only thing keeping her going through it all. She had clung to it like a shield, using it to fend off the helplessness and vulnerability. Because the slayer had indeed bested every enemy, demon and apocalypse so far, giving her an innate sense of confidence that somehow, someway, she would succeed in the end.

So not Riley, not her friends, not even Giles, could understand what that vampire had really done to her. They couldn't understand how an ordinary vamp, when it had succeeded in staking her, had succeeded in puncturing more than skin. It had broken through the shield of her slayer confidence. They couldn't understand how she was now drowning in feelings of vulnerability and mortality she hadn't felt the like of since the Master had killed her. How dare Cordelia accuse her of not letting anyone in, letting anyone help, when they could never understand!

And how dare she be told how to deal with Riley. She knew how to deal with Riley on her own, thank you very much. Nobody knew him better then her, especially not Cordelia. If there was one thing Buffy could count on about Riley was that he always could be counted on. He was good that way.

Her head was still down as she turned up the walk to her house and fished the keys out of her purse.

"Hi."

Buffy was so focused on earlier events that night she hadn't noticed anyone sitting on the porch swing. Though he had spoken softly it still made her gasp, jump and drop the keys.

"R-R-Riley! Wh-what are you doing? I mean, here?"

"Waiting for you."

Riley slowly levered himself off the swing. Buffy stared dumbly as he approached her before she realized her open hand was empty. She avoided his gaze while she looked for her keys. Riley's voice floated down from above. "I thought you would be here resting and I came by to see if I could do anything for you." He reached down and easily swept up the keys and dropped them into her hand. "Or get anything for you."

"Oh." Buffy was flustered as she went to unlock the door. Her first try at putting the key in the lock missed and she tried again.

"Where were you?" Riley asked from the threshold as she stepped into the house and threw her purse on the table by the entrance.

"I-I was out for a walk." Her arm waved about, vaguely indicating the outside.

"A new kind of therapy for gaping gut wounds?" The note of sarcasm that had crept into his voice belied the smile he wore.

"Riley--" She tried to hide her embarrassment behind the genuine anger she was still feeling.

Riley's expression cleared and he waved her to stop. "Listen, Buffy, I think we need to talk about some things. But now is not that time."

Buffy noticed Riley was still in the entranceway and had not allowed the door to close. "What stuff? When?"

"Come with me." Riley stepped back from blocking the doorway, leaving the opening clear.

She anxiously glanced up the staircase. "But I need to see my mom..."

"Then you need to come with me."

"What? But Dawn--"

"Is with your mom. Come with me. Please?"

Buffy started to shrug her coat back on then stopped. "I'm not going anywhere, Riley, not until you till me what's going on!"

Realizing she wouldn't budge without an explanation, Riley sighed in frustration, both at the necessity to take valuable time to explain as well as the need to explain anything at all before she would trust him. "As I said, I came here to see if you needed me for anything. When I arrived your mom was packing. She wouldn't give me the details, but she said she had to go to the hospital. 'More tests and observations' were her exact words. You weren't answering the phone. Not even when I tried. So I took them both and promised to come back and find you. Behold my success."

Buffy stopped listening after the word 'hospital'. "Hospital?!" she demanded. "And you didn't think to mention that first?!"

Tight-lipped, Riley worked his jaw back and forth and then clenched his teeth together. Speaking with icy calmness he said, "She's in no danger. But you're right. I'm sorry. We can be there in ten minutes."

They made the trip in complete silence, Buffy not asking anything, sitting rigidly and staring out the window. Halfway into the drive Riley moved to put a comforting hand on her shoulder but stopped when she glanced at it like it was a threatening cobra. He pulled back and they finished the trip in silence.

---

"So what's a CAT scan?" Dawn looked up at Buffy to see if she had an answer.

"I don't know. It's some kind of..." Buffy shook her head and shrugged, then failed to stifle a yawn. They had been there all night and she had not slept at all.

"Computed axial tomography."

Dawn turned to Riley, who was casually flipping through a Sports Illustrated article about some Super Bowl played many years ago. She tilted her head, her expression clearly indicating he had not made it any more clear. "It's a robot with a tomahawk-axe thingy?"

Riley tossed the magazine aside and chuckled. "No, nothing like that. It's like an x-ray on steroids. It just takes very detailed pictures of the inside. Better than a plain x-ray, that's all." He looked up at the ceiling for a second. "I guess you could say it's like an axe, taking slices of the body. But only picture slices. No harm done." He smiled to try and reassure the youngest Summers.

Buffy looked anxiously from her watch to the clock on the wall to Dawn to Riley and repeated the cycle. "You have to go to school now, Dawn."

Dawn was surprised. "What?! At a time like this? No way, Buffy. I'm staying."

"No. You're not." There was a firm yet brittle quality to Buffy's voice. "There's nothing you can do and there's no knowing how long we'll have to wait. Your grades have been slipping--"

"Well, duh, look what's going on around here. I want to know what's happening with mom."

"You could take my cell phone and Buffy can call you when there's news," offered Riley. He could tell Buffy was near the edge, and squabbling with her sibling would not do anyone any good.

Buffy gave Riley a grateful look and jumped at the opportunity. "Yeah. You'll know the minute I know. That's a plan."

Dawn set her hands on her hips. "They don't allow cell phones in school," she grated.

Riley said, "Put it in silent mode and check for messages between classes. Nobody will be the wiser. C'mon short stuff, I'll treat you to breakfast first." Riley unfolded himself from the low seat and waited with an open inviting posture.

Dawn briefly considered putting up a better fight; one against two were odds that didn't faze her one bit. But the haggard and drawn look on Buffy's face finally convinced her. In Dawn's opinion, her sister seemed to be taking on much more responsibility than needed and, aside from boring and menial tasks, wasn't allowing anyone to help her. It was starting to show. Dawn couldn't understand why Buffy was being so stubborn.

Buffy again looked at Riley gratefully as Dawn reluctantly untangled herself from Buffy and stood next to Riley. Buffy also stood up and gave Riley a quick peck and sat back down, drumming her fingers on the arm of the seat, already putting them out of mind. Riley watched her for a moment longer and turned to leave with Dawn.

"Why does Buffy make me go?" Dawn asked when they were well on their way, "I'm worried about mom, too!"

"I think she just needs some alone time to, y'know, deal. She's got a lot of responsibilities and that includes protecting you. Part of that is making sure you don't flunk out."

Riley had gone along with the decision to keep Dawn from the knowledge of her supposed creation. The information was only logical, just a factoid, like knowing how to tie your shoe. Although the _reason_ for Dawn's existence didn't provoke a gut-level response in him, the _fact_ of her existence did. Dawn was Buffy's mostly lovable, always irritating, brat kid sister, real in every way that mattered. Simple as that.

But Riley understood it would be different for Dawn. She was at a very awkward and sensitive stage. Her life was already freaky and stressful enough. Adding doubt to her origins would serve no purpose. As Xander had said, it was easy for them to treat her normally; it just felt right and natural. She was family, and her well-being was just as important to him as Buffy's. Like Buffy, he also would do whatever it took to protect her.

"Yes, dad," snapped Dawn. Riley glared sharply at her. "Sorry. But going to school today is pointless. How can I learn anything when I'm so worried?"

The kid's got a good point, Riley had to admit. He suddenly smiled. "Who said we'd actually go? Let's get a bite and then we can play some hooky."

Dawn was astonished. "Goody-two-shoes Finn playing hooky?" She gave him a sharp nudge with her elbow and returned his mischievous smile.

Riley feigned indignant righteousness. "Hey, I'm an original anarchist!"

Dawn's response was a baleful stare.

He gave in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her along. "Despite appearances, I've do have a bit of rebel in me. Your sister showed me that."

---

"What are you doing here, Xander?" Giles asked when he noticed Xander arrive with Cordelia.

"I'm supposed to meet up with Riley and take care of a vamp nest we found last night."

Giles face puckered in worry. "You went patrolling last night with Riley?"

"Yup. We found the vamp that stuck her, but he had too many friends with. We're going to take care of it today."

Giles was relieved to know Buffy's friends had learned the better part of valor sometimes meant turning tail and coming back to fight another day. His expression cleared and he returned to checking on some orders before opening the store for the day. Cordelia hung up her coat and went down to the basement storeroom to get some restocked items that needed to be put on display. Xander poured himself a cup of coffee and settled in to wait for Riley.

After awhile Giles looked up from his work. "Has anyone heard from Buffy today, how she's doing? Any news on Joyce?"

"Nuh uh. But strangely enough, we did see her at the Bronze last night. She left after speaking with Cordy. Riley was supposed to check on her, but I haven't heard anything since. Ask him when he gets here."

Giles closed up the ledger book, removed his glasses and began polishing them as he slowly came out from behind the counter. "And when will that be?"

"That's a very good question, and I'm darn glad you asked."

Giles carefully placed his glasses back on his nose and looked at Xander expectantly. "And the very good answer is?"

Xander grinned. "I don't know. But I'm still glad you asked. Means I didn't have to." He laughed as Giles rolled his eyes and went to go downstairs to help Cordelia.

---

Riley and Dawn meandered slowly through the park, heading in the general direction of the carousel which they could hear in the distance. Dawn had her arms crossed tightly across her body, taking quick tiny steps to match Riley's slower longer stride.

"You can take me back to school in a little while, I don't want to be a drag. I'm sure you have more important things to do than babysit the kid." Dawn tried to make 'kid' sound as sarcastic as possible.

"This is not a chore, Dawn. For a kid sister you're pretty cool." Walking in the late autumn sun filtering through the trees this morning, skin turning alternately cool and warm as they passed into and out of shade, Riley was able to forget all the real issues plaguing him. "This is actually kinda...nice."

Dawn pouted. "Well, Buffy acts I'm a burden. She's always on my case: do this, don't do that, don't stay out late. She's acting more like mom than mom is."

As they spoke they passed a bench with a homeless person lying on it, just rousing himself from sleep, pulling out crumpled newspaper from under his coat. Dawn noticed with interest because one of the side-effects of Sunnydale's less savory night-life was a general absence of homeless people out during the night. Either this guy was really messed up, or very, very lucky, or most likely a bit of both.

She frowned when the man suddenly locked eyes with her as she passed. His eyes grew wide, the whites showing all around, and he pointed at her and jabbered incoherently. Then he grabbed his head and began mumbling something about 'not being there' before he fearfully cringed away.

Dawn looked more frightened than Riley had ever seen her before. He shoved the man aside and quickly hustled her past. They were well away when he finally stopped dragging Dawn by the arm.

"You okay?" He looked back to make sure the man was not in sight anymore. "He's just some nutcase. Don't bother with anything he says."

"I'm okay. Really." Dawn had calmed down quickly but still looked shaken by the man's reaction to her. "Thanks for breakfast, but I think I would like to go back to school after all. Maybe doing something normal will help make me feel like things are, well... " she rolled her shoulders in an uncertain shrug, "normal?"

Riley nodded his head. "Won't you need a note or something to get back into school?"

"That won't be a problem. I've been forging mom's signature since sixth grade."

Riley laughed. "You're scary, Dawn, you know that?"

---

"You're late," stated Xander.

Riley was contrite. "Sorry. The time got away from me." As penance he held up a small, heavily laden backpack. Curious, Xander opened the flap and looked in to see three ugly green cylinders.

Xander grinned broadly. "Sweet! Incendiary flame-y goodness?"

"Nothing but the best for our friends." Riley closed the pack and slung it back over his shoulder.

"Well then, let's go have us a vamp-a-que."

"Do be careful!" called out Giles.

Riley and Xander waved as they left the shop, letting the door slam shut in their wake.

Though he was reasonably proficient with a gun, Giles still had reservations about the use of modern weaponry against legendary beings and tended to be overly nervous around them. All too often they let you forget how vulnerable you really were, and almost as often only pissed off the demon rather than doing much real damage. While Giles admitted there could be a time and place for guns and such, he firmly believed the old ways were usually best.

"What was that?" Cordelia asked, a little breathless from the trudge up the stairs.

"Oh, just Xander and Riley. Riley has acquired some incendiary devices and they're going after that nest of vampires." Though he fervently hoped Xander and Riley knew what they were doing, and expected Riley would be okay, he chuckled lightly. "I wager Xander will likely get his eyebrows burnt off."

Cordelia looked at the door through which Xander and Riley had just left. She remembered last night and how well Xander had moved when necessity called for it. "I'll take that bet."

"Really?" Giles was genuinely shocked.

Cordelia's nod was decisive. "Um hmm. I win, you make me coffee for the next month. You win, I make yours."

At first, given Cordelia's interesting notion of how to make coffee, Giles was loath to take her up on the deal. But he decided that with the proper tutoring he was sure he could get her to make something drinkable. "You're on!" They shook hands and proceeded with their day.

---

"Hail the warrior's triumphant return!" Xander called out merrily.

Seeing no-one else arrive behind him, Cordelia assumed an exaggerated and mocking look of disappointment. "Where?" asked Cordelia as she came up to greet him, peering over his shoulder for a so-called warrior. Xander wisely made no more comment and continued into the shop and leaned on the counter.

Cordelia followed him and gave a silent and careful appraisal, causing Xander to shift uncomfortably when he saw how close she was getting. Her head was cocked to one side as she inspected him. She came closer yet, even taking a whiff of his... eyebrows? Confused, he looked at her and began to edge back. "Something wrong, Cordy? The soap go out of warranty?"

Cordelia stepped back and smirked at Giles. "No, nothing's wrong." She gave Xander a wink and the flash of a bright smile and walked off lightly. Xander was further confused when she passed by Giles and said, "I like mine with non-fat milk and a teaspoon of sugar, Mr. Coffee. One cup in the morning, the other after lunch."

Giles sighed and appeared mildly disappointed. He brought his attention back to Xander. "Where's Riley?"

"Oh, he went to the hospital to find Buffy." Xander noticed Tara at the back table, books spread around her. He strolled over to see what she was studying. "Checking up on our latest meanie?" he asked, picking up a book and inspecting the title.

"In a way. I'm looking into the history of the Key, what exactly is it, how it was created, how it's used. The monk said the Key is used to open portals, But if Dawn is fully human, then how can she be used to do something like that? Maybe if we know more about that we can figure out how 'The Beast' Buffy fought intends to use it."

"And help us figure out the best way to defend Dawn. Sounds like a plan. I have a little time before I have to get back to work, how can I help?"

Tara pointed to one of the stacks. Xander picked up the top book, dropped into a seat, and started reading.

---

The customer, a young woman, looked around the shop disdainfully as Giles rang up her purchase. She gave a perfunctory "thank you" as Giles returned her card and put the items in a bag. Nevertheless, and despite her rudeness, Giles' eyes followed her, noting how the tight dress and high-heels emphasized the sway of her hips as she strutted away with mincing steps.

He was still staring at the closed door when Cordelia nudged him sharply. "She's half your age, Giles. Put your eyes back in your head before they get stepped on," Cordelia teasingly admonished him. But despite the teasing tone, Cordelia shuddered. Just the thought of someone as ancient as Giles and... Ick. Just ick.

Giles sputtered. "W-w-well, she _is_ attractive, in a rather cheap and common way, but still..." Giles eyes unfocused for a another moment.

"Oh, please! Cordelia sneered, "They're fake. And lopsided. Top and bottom."

"Err, well, I, uh... I hadn't noticed." Giles sniffed and went to assist another customer.

After he left, Cordelia contemplated the door. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something almost malevolently familiar about that woman. Nothing came to her after several frustrating seconds and, irritated by the distraction, she shook it off.

Mere seconds later Buffy came busting in. "Who was that?" she demanded.

"Who was who?" asked Giles, coming over after breaking away from his customer. "The woman that just left." Buffy was breathing hard and extremely agitated.

"She was just a customer, Buffy."

"No, she couldn't have been! That was her! What did she do? What did she want?"

"Her?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "The one I fought. Y'know, the one the monk called 'The Beast'."

Giles stared at Buffy as a horrified expression came over him. He hurriedly went back to the register and dug out the receipts. Returning to the back table where Buffy had joined Tara and Willow, he laid down the register receipt but continued to stare at the credit card imprint, his expression showing some puzzlement. "She has only one name. Glory." He pulled off his glasses and chewed gently on the temple. "What an odd name."

"Not 'Glory The Hell Beast Who's After My Sister'?" snapped Buffy.

Giles looked again. "No, no. Just 'Glory'."

"Well that's her. I'm sure of it. And whatever you just sold her she's up to nothing but badness."

Willow read through the receipt, reciting each item aloud. "I'm sure you're right, Buffy. But I don't know, they seem harmless enough."

"There's got to be something there. We have to know what she intends to do." Buffy was a little calmer, but not much.

Willow tried to be reassuring. "It's going to be okay, Buffy, we'll hit the books, we'll figure it out." Tara nodded vigorously as they set aside their schoolwork.

Buffy bobbed her head, trying to think of all the possibilities. She glanced down at her watch. "School's almost out. Have you guys seen Riley?"

Giles answered from behind her. "He was here for a few minutes this morning, then left with Xander. He wasn't with Xander when he came back so I assumed he was with you."

Buffy shook her head and muttered, "No. He's never around when you need him." More loudly this time Buffy addressed everyone. "Okay, then I've got to get Dawn myself. We'll come back here. I need answers, guys. We have to know what this 'Glory' is up to."

She left without waiting for an answer.

For once they lucked out and were able to quickly piece together the purpose of the ingredients. It turned out there were three kinds of spells or incantations which used the particular set of ingredients purchased by Glory. One they were able to eliminate immediately since it seemed to be used to help control cantankerous draft animals.

They had some trouble figuring out which of the other two it could be. One was a spell to enlarge the size of some types of animals, the second to enhance certain aspects of a split personality while suppressing others. The former sounded much more likely and they proceeded on that assumption. They checked on the weapons readily available in Giles' shop, which were plenty, and waited for Buffy and Dawn to return.

---

"What have you got for me?" demanded Buffy the moment she entered the store, Dawn and Riley trailing behind her. After she had picked up Dawn at school, Buffy had found Riley at the hospital with her mother.

Willow shuffled her notes around and held up a pad, taking it back before Buffy could read anything. "Well, we think we have two possibilities. We're just not sure which one it is."

"This Glory is trying to create Dogzilla. Or a snake monster," said Xander, who had stopped by after work but was too late to actually be much help.

"Or she wants to bring out and strengthen some aspect of a multiple personality," added Tara.

"We think it's most likely to the monster," said Giles, "but, aside from general destruction--which she seems to be already quite proficient at, we don't understand why." Giles shrugged, took out a handkerchief and cleaned his glasses. "And the other, well, we just d--"

The front window crashed in, a shower of glass covering the front area of the store. Everyone spun about to look and, for a moment, saw nothing. They jumped when the creature, a large snake-like being bearing some type of odd prehensile forelimbs, slithered over the shards of glass as if gliding on ice.

"Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?" moaned Xander.

Buffy recovered first from her shock and charged at the enormous reptilian demon. She leaped up for a flying kick and was surprised to find herself off-balance and spinning past the demon when she had missed. The snake had weaved to the side and easily batted her into a tall and heavy display case. Stunned by the impact Buffy wasn't prepared when the case crashed down on her and she blacked out for a moment.

When Buffy had began her attack Riley cast about for some kind of weapon. He grabbed a broadsword and ran at the snake. He was swept aside with an indifferent swipe, sliding across the floor and ending up in a heap against the sales counter.

Buffy soon regained consciousness but was pinned under the debris of the wrecked display case. She struggled to move out from under but, still weak and woozy from the attack, found it slow and difficult going.

With contemptuous ease and slowness the demon advanced toward the remainder of the group, weaving from side it side as if herding them together, it's slitted eyes darting back and forth. Xander wanted to do something but his muscles had frozen and he also felt himself being held tightly from behind, preventing him from doing anything anyway.

The demon's eyes suddenly locked on Dawn. It hissed as it's tongue flickered out and waved about, tasting the air. Dawn had never felt so helpless in her life when the snake seemed to stare not just at her but _into_ her, able to see to the core of her very being. Something horrible stirred and twisted inside Dawn and she screamed. The clear nictating membrane flicked over the demon's eyes and it pulled back for a different perspective.

Dawn's scream broke through Xander's paralysis. He shrugged off whoever was holding him and, heart thumping madly, every nerve telling him he should be moving in the exact opposite direction, he started forward.

Before he could get there the demon broke off and reared back. It snapped its tail, destroying another case, and quickly slithered out the way it came, accelerating as it went.

By this time Buffy had worked her way out from underneath the debris. Her eyes widened in panic when she realized what happened. "It knows!!" she yelled at Giles. After a quick glance to assure herself Dawn wasn't injured she took off after the demon, desperate to kill it before it reported to it's master.

Riley, from his position by the counter, saw Giles run out the door, then soon heard the screech of tires. He guessed Giles was going after Buffy. He wondered why the screeching didn't fade away as Giles drove off. It took him a moment to realize it was Dawn, still screaming. Riley got off the floor and wobbled over to where Xander and the others were trying to comfort Dawn, who finally collapsed, sobbing, into Cordelia's arms.

Seeing that Dawn and everyone else was otherwise uninjured, Riley left to go after Giles and Buffy. When he finally caught up with them Buffy was slumped over the dead body of the demon. Exhausted, she only looked up as Riley and Giles came close.

"Is Dawn safe?" she asked in a weary voice.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. A little scared and a lot upset, but I think she's going to be fine. Everyone's okay. Let's get you back."

The good news seemed to invigorate Buffy, but she could only nod numbly as she leaned on Riley while Giles led them back to the cars and to Dawn.

* * *

_to be continued..._


	6. Somebody to Lean On continued

**Title:** Segue

**Summary:** What we all need

**Warnings**: none

**Spoilers**: BtVS:Into the Woods

**Acknowledgment**: My thanks and appreciation to Theo for his many helpful suggestions and beta reading skills.

* * *

**Part 5b: Somebody To Lean On (continued)**

Four Scoobies stood at the lip of the furrow plowed up by the meteorite that Tara and Willow had spotted an hour ago. Several yards away through the trees Riley and Giles were kneeling by the body of a dead man they'd found a few minutes earlier. Although they were inspecting the body closely they kept anxiously peering into the woods.

"Explain again why Buffy's not here?" asked Xander, stomping his feet to hide his nervousness.

"She has to be with her mom!" Willow curtly admonished Xander. "We'll just figure this out ourselves, right? We're experienced." Willow said in an overly chipper voice, at odds with the creepiness of the situation.

"When was the last time you--we--dealt with the creature from the dark side of the moon?" snipped Cordelia, also nervously looking about.

Riley stood up and he and Giles rejoined the group. "This is definitely new territory." He slowly scanned a full three-hundred and sixty degrees around, trying to divine any danger that might still be inhabiting the forest.

"Perhaps we should explore a bit more, head into the woods a bit," offered Giles, though he seemed less than eager to follow his own suggestion. Fingers of fog blowing in from the nearby ocean were infiltrating between the trees, making it much more difficult to see than Giles would have liked.

Riley was a bit more eager. "You guys have lived here all your lives. You should know you way around these woods pretty well."

Xander and the others just gave him baleful glares. "Yeah, that's _before_ we knew what lurked in the woods unlovely, dark and deep, just waiting for fresh meat to wander by." Xander gave Riley a disgusted look before he broke off and took a step back towards were they had left the cars. "Who votes research? Yeah, do we have a quorum?" He raised both hands.

"Oh, I'm all over the research," said Willow quickly. Tara raised her hand and Giles bobbed his head.

Riley stood still, looking about. "I'm not so great with the research. I think I'll stay here, Quincy the body some more, look around a little." He smiled grimly. "I like me a good crime scene."

Xander was concerned for his friend as he stepped up close while the others started on their way. "You're not trying to get us non-combatants out of the way while you go mano-a-mano off the reservation here, are you, desperado?"

Riley had to smile at all the mixed metaphors Xander could pack onto one short sentence. "No, no, I'm just not great at research, which I'm sure you guys figured out by now."

Xander gave Riley a speculative look for another second and then nodded his head. "C'mon, Cordy." He shoved both hands into his pockets and started after the others, who were already cresting the hill.

"You guys go on. I'll stay and keep checking out stuff with Riley."

Xander nearly tripped over himself, very surprised and then very confused. Riley looked shocked as well. "Cordy?" tentatively asked Xander.

Cordelia shrugged. "I never cared much for the researching either."

Xander's eyes shifted back and forth between Cordelia, who seemed perfectly at ease, and Riley, whose face was contorting through a number of expressions.

"You sure? It's warm back at the shop. And this cold, dry air isn't good for the complexion. You must have told me that a million--"

"Cordelia," broke in Riley, "I think Xander's right. You'd be a lot more comfortable back indoors."

Cordelia glanced at Riley. "No, I'm good. This is a very warm coat." She returned her attention to Xander. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Xander thought for a moment and then reached into his jacket. "Willow is number two on the speed-dial. Call if anything...," he looked once more at the dark and surrounding woods and shuddered slightly, "comes up." Xander handed his cell phone to her and hustled to catch up with the others.

"Let's look around," Cordelia said to Riley once Xander had turned to leave.

"It's dark, maybe there's vampires or something around."

To Cordelia, even as sinister as things seemed, Riley appeared more agitated than the situation truly deserved. She patted him on the shoulder as she passed by him on her way back to the meteorite. "Nothing I'm sure you can't handle."

Riley hurried after her. "You really should go with them. It's for your own safety."

"Thank you. I'll stay," she said sweetly, but quite firmly.

"Fine." Riley growled, finally giving up. "Check out around that capsule for anything unusual we might have missed."

Cordelia grinned. "You mean more unusual than monsters from outer-space?"

"Just look around anyway. I'm going to examine the body some more." He waited and watched Cordelia walk off before he returned to the body.

He knelt down by the dead man and, taking another look around to verify Cordelia wasn't near, pulled out his cell phone and quickly tapped in a number from memory. Riley began talking as soon as the connection was made. "I need to speak to the duty officer." He waited while the call was transferred. "This is Age--this is Finn, Riley Finn. You have an Agent Miller, Graham Miller, he'll tell you who ... Yes. Emergency Sit. 1. You can get the location off this phone." He listened for a few more seconds then snapped the phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. Riley settled back on his heels, heaved a big sigh to match the sigh of the breeze through the trees, and looked up through the branches, every now and then seeing twinkling sky through gaps in the fog.

"Friends of yours?"

Riley jumped and whirled around. He hadn't heard Cordelia move up behind him.

"Oh! Uh, no! It's--um. It's--I was talking to some...farm." He flailed in the face of Cordelia's increasingly skeptical and accusing glare. "Family. My family. They have a farm. In Iowa--did you know I was from Iowa?" He forced a chuckle. "We talk." He took out and held up his phone and tried to smile. "On the phone. They have an emergency situation. Um, Bossy--one of our cows--she's not feeling well." He was glad it was at least dark enough Cordelia couldn't see the color of his face too well, because he felt it reddening by the second.

"I'm no Mary the Milkmaid, but I don't think farms usually have a duty officer."

"The sump pump in the basement isn't working?" Riley tried weakly.

"Save it! You're just making yourself look stupid. And we've got Xander for that. Why did you call in your old friends?"

By now Riley had learned to respect Cordelia well enough not to continue arguing such a patently ridiculous point. He implicitly acknowledged that respect by continuing in a straight-forward and honest manner. "We've dealt with LGMs before."

"LGMs?"

"Little Green Men." Riley waved at the furrow, where some smoke still continued to waft out. "It's happened before and we're on it."

"_We_ are?"

"I mean, they are." A wistful expression came over Riley. "Guys I used to work with."

Cordelia gave Riley a measuring look. "Buffy wouldn't have called in help." She smiled grimly when Riley tensed and slowly stretched to his full height. He was practically scowling. Bingo, she thought.

"Well, I'm not Buffy," Riley said with some force. "I _am_ the one on the scene and it's my call. Next time Buffy can do what she wants."

"Including handling it herself?" Cordelia asked in a surprisingly gentle manner.

Riley sighed, looked down and took a long time answering, digging at the ground with his booted toe. When he looked up at Cordelia, he saw a calm expression of acceptance, and felt an odd sense of trust in her. He still didn't know her well, and what little he did know wasn't very positive, but somehow he felt he could trust that she would never lie to him, or shade the truth, or try and soften the blow just to make him feel better. "She's Slayer, comma The. She doesn't really need anyone, does she?"

"That's one view." Cordelia's tone was neutral.

"Y'know, she never asks me for help, not in anything that really matters. And she seems almost...I don't know--angry?--when I try anyway. Like I'm just getting in the way."

"And you want to be the dashing knight, charging in on his noble steed to save poor lady-fair?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow, giving Riley a challenging expression. "I hate to inform you, Sir Lancelot, but we left the Middle-Ages and simpering damsels behind at least a few hundred years ago. You really should learn to deal with it."

Riley shook his head. "No, no, no! I'm not talking about her being dependent on me, waiting for me to save the day. I _like_ that she's strong. I like that she's take-charge girl. But it doesn't have to mean I can't help, either. It's-it's about helping each other, y'know, when things get rough. People help each other." His eyes fell again. "But she doesn't want mine."

Riley seemed overly fascinated by his efforts to dig another furrow in the ground with his foot as he waited for another scathing comment from Cordelia. When he didn't get one he asked, "What am I doing here? Why am I staying around? Am I just the mission's boyfriend?" he wondered, echoing Graham's parting words.

Cordelia felt the weight of his questions. She wanted to give him something positive, but she couldn't. "I really don't know."

Riley shrugged; he hadn't expected anything else. "No visions for me? Nothing to tell my future?"

"Sorry. I don't get to decide when they come. I just tell someone else who does the heavy champion's work."

The reference reminded Riley of something. "Champions, hmmm? You worked with Angel, right? And you knew them when they were together, him and Buffy?"

Cordelia frowned and nodded, not caring for the reminder of her previous employer. The bitterness had mostly faded, but not entirely.

"So let me ask you something. She would die for him. What is it he gave her that I'm not? If it weren't for that curse they'd still be together, wouldn't they? Now and forever?"

"Maybe. That's a tough call." Cordelia tried to set aside her personal feelings as she reviewed the highlights of the Buffy-Angel saga in her head. "I honestly don't know. The were a regular roller-coaster of sickening soap-opera passion. Nothing middle of the road for them. It was very annoying. How long that would have lasted...?" Cordelia shrugged.

Riley frowned and nodded his head. "And that's me to a T. Middle of the road guy. Not great, not bad. Just there." He sighed as he leaned down and scooped up a rock, turning it over in his hand. "Always there." Riley suddenly winged the rock into the forest, hearing it clop off an unseen tree trunk.

After standing silently for a few more seconds Riley gave a short bark of laughter. "Roller-coasters and Angel. Can't say I picture that." Cordelia also tried to picture it and she soon laughed along with him.

When they settled down she touched him on the elbow to get his attention and spoke gently. "Maybe you're not the long haul guy. Maybe you are. Does she love you? Can she love you the way you want? I don't know the answers, Riley. But so what? There's now and there's tomorrow. And given the expected life-time of a slayer I think that's all you should expect. You need to cut her some slack. Or a lot. And even if Buffy doesn't see it I do think we need you."

Riley was astonished by Cordelia's solicitous attitude. She was still a virtual stranger after all these weeks, someone who had no reason to care about him and his petty personal issues with Buffy. He didn't reply for several long seconds. If even she thought he was worth having around then, well, maybe things weren't so bad after all.

But the good feeling and sense of self-worth that Cordelia had fostered suddenly collapsed when he understood a basic truth of their situation in Sunnydale. "What can I do that Buffy, or you guys, don't already do?"

Cordelia was ready for that question. "You're not a slayer, so why do things like a slayer? Just contribute what you can and know that it makes a difference."

"And is there a for-instance behind door number three?"

"You fight."

Riley looked puzzled. "Buffy's the fighter."

Cordelia waved impatiently. "Leave her out of this. You've had training, right? You're a Marine, or something? You've had combat training?"

"Army, actually. Rangers," he answered in a self-deprecating tone. "The Initiative was an inter-disciplinary unit. Like Delta Force."

"Whatever. The point is, you _know_ how to fight against demons. Punch, kick, block, that sort of stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Riley couldn't see where Cordelia was going with this.

"Show us. Teach us. As in everything you know."

Riley looked at Cordelia with a dubious expression. "Th-that can take a long time. And a lot of painful work. And you guys already seem to do pretty well."

"But we could do better. You could at least show us some basics, couldn't you? At least some defensive stuff? Buffy never has. Neither has Giles."

"Yeah, that is kinda odd." Riley nodded his head slowly as he thought about it. "Are you serious about this?"

"Absolutely."

"All right, it's an interesting idea." Riley almost smiled. "I'll--I'll give it some thought." He nodded to himself as he continued to stare at Cordelia.

"What?"

"You're all about the honesty, right? No-holds-barred, no matter how tactless or painful?"

Cordelia smiled a little self-consciously. "Pretty much. I've been working on the delivery."

"Then do you mind if I ask you something?"

Cordelia gestured for him to go on.

"Why the friendly? We hardly know each other, and yet tonight we've spoken more than in all the weeks you've been in Sunnydale. I just always thought you were a, uh, kind of selfish bi--abe. Babe."

"That'll be 'Queen Bitch' to you," she corrected him, grinning. "I'm not offended." Her smile diminished and her expression became more sober. "You could say I've grown up a bit since most of these guys knew me; I'm not so much with the selfish anymore. But if it makes you feel more comfortable then just think that it's all about keeping me safe. The more you're around to help kill demons, to help keep Buffy sane, to train us, the safer _I'll_ be."

Riley was about to say something when he suddenly looked up at the sky.

Cordelia followed his gaze but didn't see anything. "What is it?"

"It sounds..." He cocked his head a bit and then she heard it too. "They're here." He pointed toward the southwest and they saw the strobing anti-collision lights of a flight of helicopters cresting the rise.

They waited in silence at the edge of the nearest clearing as the three helicopters landed in tight formation. Riley strode toward the first commando to jump out. Cordelia trailed behind, quickly putting her hand over her head to keep the rotor downwash from blowing her hair into tangles.

The wind quickly dissipated as the blades slowed and the engines whined to a stop.

"That was fast. I only called a few minutes ago," said Riley.

"You Finn?" demanded the newcomer.

"Yeah." Riley didn't introduce Cordelia.

"Major Ellis." He stuck his hand out and Riley shook it. "I'm in charge of this op. We were already on our way." Ellis peered around at the woods. "What's the situation? Just the one civilian casualty?"

"That I know of."

One of the other commandos joined them and Riley looked him up and down. "Graham," he greeted without emotion. The four of them stood awkwardly for a few seconds.

Ellis shouted back at the group already half unloaded from the helicopters. "Smith! Squad A with me. B and C scout out the perimeter. No more than 200 meters in. Report anything." He addressed Riley. "Which way, Agent?"

Riley didn't bother to point out he was in fact an "ex-" agent. He pointed back the way he and Cordelia had come and all four of them started in the indicated direction. Ellis led, followed by Riley and Graham and then Cordelia, who had remained silent ever since the commandos had landed.

Graham nudged Riley with his elbow. "Where's super-girlfriend, Rye? Doesn't she normally handle this kind of thing for you?" Graham had said it lightly but the heat in Riley's sudden glare caused him to raise his hands and edge back a little. He slowed down to walk side-by-side with Cordelia. He looked over at her with a puzzled expression. "You seem familiar. Do I know you?"

"I was at the hospital the night Spike attacked you."

"Oh, that's right, you're Xander's girl."

Cordelia's eyes narrowed dangerously. She bit out the words one by one. "I. Am. _Not_. Xander's. Girl!" For the second time Graham found himself backing off and he quickened his pace to rejoin Riley.

Riley chuckled. "You really need to learn to stop talking so much, Graham."

"Yeah! She's even scarier than Buffy," muttered Graham, taking a quick glance back at Cordelia.

They arrived at the body and Ellis squatted down to take a closer look.

"I wouldn't touch that stuff in his mouth if I were you," warned Riley.

Ellis was unperturbed, but did as Riley said. "Toxic?"

"No, just messy. Guy seems to have simply choked on the stuff. Near as I can tell, it's some kind of protein alkaloid. It was a lot thicker a few minutes ago."

Ellis stood. "Fit the profile of anything you're familiar with?"

Riley shook his head. Cordelia, though slightly intimidated by Ellis' brusque and commanding manner, spoke up. "Whatever it was, it came out of that." Ellis saw she was pointing at the furrow several dozen yards away.

Other than that, Ellis ignored her off and spoke again to Riley. "Yeah, we got a heads-up from NORAD." He stood up and led them to the rock at the end of the trench. "Miller, set the trackers for a protein signature."

"Yes sir." Graham trotted off to get everything set up.

"I don't think that'll work, Major," Riley said, "This alkaloid's breaking down at an accelerated rate." He pointed at the fluid dribbling out the corners of the dead man's mouth. "It's already practically turned into water. I think it's dissolving too fast to track."

"Hold up, Miller," Ellis shouted while still looking at Riley. "You got a better idea?"

"Came from space. Maybe some trace radiation?"

Ellis thought for a moment. "We have Geiger counters in the packs." He nodded to Graham. "Let's break 'em out."

Graham ran off and came back a few minutes later, burdened with several instruments. "We've got enough for each team to have--"

Cordelia's head whipped back as her body convulsed first one way and then the other. Her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, and her eyelids fluttered as she began keening in pain.

"Cordelia!" shouted Riley. He moved barely in time to keep Cordelia from thrashing into the ground as she tried to hold her head with both hands. He held onto her as she alternately screamed and moaned. Riley gently lowered her down to rest her head on his legs as he knelt. Someone shouted for a medic and people were soon racing around behind him. Riley, recognizing the symptoms, said, "That won't be necessary."

After several long moments of convulsions that slowly abated Cordelia settled down and held out her hands. "Get me up," she moaned, eyes closed tight. Once Riley had stood her up she remained leaning against him and finally opened one of her eyes. Riley took Tylenol from the medic and gave her a canteen from one of the others.

"A vision, right?" asked Riley.

"A what?" demanded Ellis, who had been silently observant during Cordelia's episode.

Riley turned to look at the Major, unsure what to say or even how much he should reveal. He glanced at Cordelia for some guidance but she was in no shape to help. "Never mind right now. It's-it's just a thing. She'll have some information for us."

"It's--ewww!" Cordelia's face contorted in reaction to the remembered image of the large roach-like demon.

"An Ewww Demon?" Riley looked confused.

Cordelia started to roll her eyes but the pain of even that slight motion stopped her. "No! Jesus, you're pathetic. I have _got_ to stop having these visions when you're around." She took another sip of the offered water. "It's like a giant cockroach, about four feet long, and it's crawling on the ceiling. A white room. It's very white, and beds, lots of beds, like, like--"

"A hospital?" asked someone.

"Yeah, that's it! It's a hospital. It's headed toward the hospital!" She recalled some more details from her vision. "Must be the psych ward, I think. It's full of people. We've got to go."

"What the hell is this?!" demanded Ellis. "We haven't finished our work here."

Riley looked the Major square in the eyes. "I don't have time to explain it now. But the, the...vi--information she gets is to be trusted. Completely."

"You trust her?"

Riley glanced over at Cordelia, seeing the strength slowly return to her, then turned back toward Ellis. "Absolutely," he answered with a firm nod.

Ellis stared at Riley for another moment and then at Cordelia who, despite her improved condition, still looked like she could barely maintain her balance. But Ellis had seen his fair share of the un-explainable and was more willing than most people his age and rank to accept it at face value.

He blinked once and decided. "Let's move, people!" he shouted. Ellis called to the helo pilots and circled his arms, then he radioed out. "C stays here. Finish the re-con. A and B are airborne." Soon commandos were filtering back in, jumping into the waiting choppers.

Still holding on to Cordelia, Riley asked, "Can you move, Cordelia? Or do you need to sit and rest? One of the guys can stay and watch over you."

"No, I can move. Just don't jitter around so much." Riley carefully helped her to the nearest chopper. She stopped and looked at it warily. "I've never been in a helicopter before. Is this thing safe?"

Riley had to smile. "You fight demons on a daily basis and you're worried if this thing is safe?"

Cordelia smiled in return. "Good point. We better get going, I don't think we have a lot of time."

---

"So, a Queller, huh?" Xander slapped the book shut, causing everyone in the Magic Box to jump. "Meteor go boom, crazy guy goes bye-bye."

"Xander's book made it sound like this Queller thing had to be summoned," commented Tara. "So... who summoned it?

Xander sat back, smug in the knowledge he had discovered the critical link between tonight's events and the historical records. "Who else? My money's on our resident beastie summoner, Glory. First giant snakes, now giant roaches."

"We should call Buffy." Willow frowned. "Except we shouldn't call Buffy." She looked hopefully to Giles. "Should we?"

Giles pursed his lips, thinking carefully as he tried to balance the needs of his slayer versus their own. "Let's narrow this down a bit before we call Buffy and possibly send her on some wild goose chase. But we will call Riley and let him know the salient details so far." Giles went behind the counter and brought up the phone. He dialed in Riley's number from memory and drummed his fingers while he waited for the connection to go through. The others saw him as frowned, puzzled, and tried again, with the same result.

"What's up?" asked Xander.

"I couldn't get through. I got the answering service both times after only one ring."

"Maybe he's talking to Buffy?" ventured Willow.

Giles scratched behind his ear. "I-I don't know."

Xander snapped his fingers. "Call Cordy. She's with him and she has my phone."

"Excellent, Xander." Giles walked back to the phone still sitting on the counter and picked up the receiver. "What's your number?"

Xander's face registered mild disappointment that Giles didn't care enough to have his number. Quickly getting over it, he opened his mouth to recite the number. He stopped without saying anything. Giles lifted the phone expectantly. "I don't remember," Xander finally admitted with a small embarrassed smile.

Giles was incredulous. "You don't remember your own phone number?"

"No, why should I? I never have to call myself."

Willow was digging through her bag on the table. "Waitaminute. I've got it programmed into mine." She waved it victoriously before flipping it open. She hit the speed dial for Xander's phone and then listened. "I think it's getting through..."

---

It took a moment for Cordelia to recognize that the ringing phone was the one Xander had given her. She struggled to fish it out of her pocket as she walked away from the knot of military men present with her at the hospital. "Yeah? Oh, Willow, hi." Her frown melted away. "Right. It's a what? A Queller? Uh huh. Okay, let me put him on." Cordelia raised the phone and headed back to where Riley was conferring with the Major.

Riley glanced up at her approach. "What is it?"

"Willow. With information about our cockroach."

Riley took the phone from Cordelia. "Riley here." The noise level in the ward caused him to put his finger in his ear and walk out into the hall where it was a little quieter.

"A Queller, huh? Okay, and it's only after crazy people? That's interesting, 'cause we nearly had a ward full of crazy corpses here at Sunnydale Memorial. That's right. But we were able to scare it off before it did anything. Joyce? What about her? Willow calm down, it's okay, she was in no danger. Joyce was released earlier today. That intern, um, Ben, told me. She went home with Buffy, they'll be safe there. We--I mean I think I've got it cornered in the air ducts."

Ellis came up and tapped Riley on the shoulder impatiently. Riley held up a finger to indicate he needed another moment.

"Look, Willow, keep up what you're doing. Call me if you find out the best way I can kill this thing. Otherwise I'm going to assume the usual slice 'n dice." He snapped the phone shut and handed it back to Cordelia.

"Follow me," commanded Ellis. "We think we picked up the trail." He took off without verifying if Riley or Cordelia followed him. Riley caught up to him and relayed the information Willow had provided. Ellis nodded his acknowledgment but made no comment.

They exited the hospital to find Graham standing in the circular driveway, waving his Geiger counter about and shaking his head in confusion. "Trail stops here. Like it just vanished."

"It stops?" Riley slowly looked about and saw they were only a few feet from the taxi stand. "A car. It must have hitched a ride."

"So some poor loony-toon drove away with this thing?" asked Cordelia. "How in the world are we going to figure out where?" The others looked soberly at Cordelia.

Riley stared intently at the ground as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, forming a very ugly picture.

Ellis shouted at a sergeant standing just inside the doorway. "Get me a list of all patients discharged in the last 24 hours!"

That got Riley's attention and the last piece clicked into place. The intern Riley had spoken with, Ben, had mentioned the lapses of lucidness Mrs. Summers would be experiencing, that she might be have brief episodes of very odd behavior. Ben had gone on to say that it would have been better for Mrs. Summers to stay in the hospital. While agreeing with the intern's reservations, Riley explained there was no dissuading the Summers women when they set their mind to something.

"No! I know where it's going. We've gotta move. Now!"

---

The brown and green painted vehicles howled up the street under full power before screeching to a halt in front of 1630 Revello. Drapes in some of the nearby houses twitched as neighbors peered out of their windows to see what was going on at the Summers' place _this_ time. They watched as armed men, carrying strange weaponry, jumped from the cars and spread out around the house.

Ellis, Riley, Graham and Cordelia were already running up the porch steps when a shriek was heard from inside. Riley didn't slow down as he crashed through the door. After diving low he rolled to a kneeling crouch, gun up, and took a fast visual sweep of the living room.

His felt a cold hand on his heart when he saw something matching Cordelia's description on top of Buffy, attempting to get in range to shoot its suffocating mucus down her throat. Riley could see Buffy trying to use a knife against the Queller but the demon has pinned her arms.

Riley tried to line up his weapon for a shot but Buffy and the demon were struggling and moving too much to get a clean shot and he didn't want to take any chances. Though it seemed like an eternity had passed, but in reality just a second or two, Riley heard Graham and Ellis cross through the entrance behind him and move to provide covering fire.

Before they could say anything to him Riley jumped to his feet, lowered his shoulders and roared at the top of his lungs. He barreled into the demon and knocked it off Buffy. Despite its relatively small size it was tremendously strong and fast, and it rolled Riley over onto his back and easily batted the gun away. It started to scrabble up Riley's body toward his face when it suddenly shrieked at a blood curdling pitch and relaxed its hold on him.

Sensing the weakened grip, Riley pushed back with his arms and legs and tried to pull away from the demon. From his position on his back, Riley saw Buffy plunge the knife into the demon's mid-section, over and over again. The Queller jumped off Riley and spun around to face Buffy. Riley was now able to free his baton from his leg holster and he began pummeling the Queller from behind, while Buffy continued to stab at it, reaching around its waving claws.

Getting battered from two sides at once the Queller demon was dead in a matter of seconds, but it took a few more moments before they both realized the fact and stopped.

Riley scooted back on his butt and sagged against the wall, still breathing heavily as Buffy pulled him into a wordless hug. He was about to return the hug when a noise came from upstairs.

"My mom!" Buffy breathed, and she ran off.

Ellis and Graham stepped forward to inspect the demon's carcass. The major nodded once and Graham pumped a few silenced rounds into the body. It didn't react. He frowned at it and suddenly gave at a swift kick near what he supposed was its head with his heavy boot. It still didn't move. Ellis smiled grimly. "Bag and tag it. Get a clean-up crew in here. Then call the hospital and give them the usual cover story and security warnings." Graham saluted and left the house to make the arrangements.

Ellis approached Riley before he had a chance to stand up. "You went a little off the reservation there, Finn, going in half-cocked before your backup was ready." Riley's back arched at the implied rebuke but he noticed Ellis was still smiling. "But you did good. Quick thinking. Didn't freeze. We'll talk again sometime."

Riley, propped up against a wall, looked up at the officer. "We will?"

"Count on it." Ellis nudged the dead Queller with his boot one more time, sniffed, and left the Summers' residence, Riley's eyes following him all the way out the door. Riley's gaze returned to the dead demon and he wondered what Ellis was talking about.

"So Soldier-Boy saves the day. Imagine that."

Riley's head snapped up at Cordelia's comment. "I'm a little tired, and a lot beat up. Even after our earlier heart-to-heart I still don't know you that well, so I really can't tell. Are you abusing me with sarcasm?"

Cordelia tilted her head and gave a him small smile. "No, I'm really not." She reached down to give Riley a hand up.

They stood together and ignored the men who were now coming in with tarps and other cleaning supplies and beginning to straighten out the mess.

"It's been a hell of a night. Do you need a ride home?" Riley asked.

Cordelia shrugged casually and waved her hand. "Nah. We're not far from the shop and I'll get a ride with Xander if he's still there. Why don't you go upstairs and be a good boyfriend?"

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind." Riley smiled, nodded, waved, and then took the steps two at time.

Cordelia brushed her hands together with a self-satisfied smirk. "And my work here is done." She dodged an incoming private on her way out the door.

Five minutes later, after being told Dawn and Joyce were safe and sound, and that it really wasn't necessary he stay, a confused and unhappy Riley also left the house.

---

"Xander!" Cordelia yelled down the hall, "We have to go. Now. Before the shops all close."

Xander popped his head out the doorway of his room, wet hair in wild disarray. "Huh? Go? What? Huh?"

Cordelia tapped her toe and practiced her mantra for patience when Xander acted dumb. She tended to get a lot of practice. "Very cute, Xander. Now get your jacket and credit card and let's go."

Xander came out of the room while using his fingers to slick back his hair. "And again, I say 'huh?'."

Cordelia sighed and rolled her eyes. Then using simple words she was fairly certain even Xander would understand Cordelia said, "I'm feeling good, happy. I want to buy something."

Xander nodded in evident understanding. "Ah, I get it now. We're going to celebrate Joyce's recovery with a senseless display of crass materialism?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Cordelia pouted only for a moment, "it _still_ sounds like a good idea! Let's go." Cordelia moved towards the door.

Xander walked into the living room waving his arms, then he made a T with his hands. "Whoah, whoah, whoah, just hold on a second! What are you talking about? You want to buy something, fine, go ahead. But why the 'us'?"

Cordelia registered frustrated annoyance. It had been a difficult week with all the upset over Joyce's illness. Everyone had been tense and, often literally, on the edge of their seat with worry. People were emotionally frayed, alternately snapping at each other one moment only to give each other encouraging hugs the next, as they waited for news on Joyce. Even Tara had been surprisingly short-tempered on occasion.

Now, after Mrs. Summers recovery from brain surgery and the excellent prognosis for a full recovery, things were starting to look up. The last thing Cordelia needed to ruin her good mood was Xander being himself. "I've only been talking about this for a week now."

"You have? Talking about what?"

"Can the stupid act." She pressed her fingers to her forehead to attempt to massage away the growing headache. Okay, maybe it wasn't an act. Cordelia sighed and glared at Xander. "Furniture!"

"Furniture?" He stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember when the subject had ever been mentioned. His eyes widened when he dimly recalled her saying something the other day. "Oh... tha-a-at."

"Yes, tha-a-at." She quickly stopped shaking her head when it only made her headache worse. "You weren't paying attention, were you?"

"Ah, well, it's just, y'know, I thought, um..."

"Um, what? What did you think, Xander? This ought to be good for a laugh." She crossed her arms and waited.

Xander shrugged helplessly. "That you were joking? I mean, we got the bed and dresser for your room, and some other stuff. And everything else came with the place." He waved vaguely at the cheap kitchen and living room pieces laying about, already showing signs of wear after just a few months use.

"Listen to me, you big dummy. This place is practically a dump. I want things to be a little nicer. No, make that a _lot_ nicer. I live here, too, y'know."

Xander bristled at Cordelia's description of their apartment. "Yeah, today." He glanced over at the coffee table, which had several copies of "To Rent" and "Apartment" magazines scattered haphazardly. "Tomorrow, maybe not." He suddenly caught the way Cordelia averted her eyes and the slight shift of her shoulders. If he didn't know better he would swear she looked a little... guilty? "You _are_ still looking, aren't you?"

During their first weeks together he had gone with Cordelia on several apartment hunting trips but they had had no luck. Each place they had looked was either too expensive, too run-down, or too far away. Of the very few left--some of which Xander had thought were very nice--Cordelia always found something about them she didn't like.

When his work schedule had picked up again he stopped going with her, but Xander assumed she was still looking. If the mess on the coffee table were any indication, she was still collecting the weekly flyers she once flipped through so eagerly. At the moment, however, Xander couldn't recall the last time he actually saw her read one.

Also looking at the pile on the table, it suddenly occurred to Cordelia that although she still told herself she wanted her own place she hadn't actively tried to find anything in quite a few weeks. Cordelia nibbled on her lower lip as she realized that continuing to pick up the weekly apartment rental inserts was becoming more show than substance.

She then considered how things had changed over the course of the last several weeks. Cordelia now found she had to work hard to get up the enthusiasm for her own place. The desire to find another apartment just for herself seemed to have diminished the more and more she made this home her own.

She frowned suddenly, disconcerted, when it dawned upon her that she actually _liked_ living here. It was roomy and comfortable, the location was great and the view better. Although Xander had put up a few of his own decorations and knick knacks, he otherwise let Cordelia do anything she wanted with the decorating, as long as it wasn't too 'girlie'.

And she kind of liked having a roommate, even if it was Xander Harris. Dennis had been a wonderful companion in his own limited way, but she couldn't have a real conversation with him. Though conversations with Xander often tended more toward petty sniping argument than real discussion, even those could be fun--almost a game--as they each tried to see who could one-up the other in a war of words.

Sometimes, especially when one or both of them were too tired to drag around the baggage of their mutual history, they really did have some relaxed, pleasant and easy conversation. Sometimes it would be as simple and mundane as shop talk and gossip, other times they would talk about whatever demon or vamp they had last faced, or sometimes they had more serious discussion about their shared worry over Joyce and the future.

Overcoming her initial reluctance to join in, Cordelia had also immensely enjoyed the frequent movie marathons. The apartment would be packed with good people that she cared about. Everyone sat wherever they felt comfortable and shared whatever food was brought. Once the movie was started loud, derisive, and often hilariously vulgar commentary was directed at any and all on-screen inanities. Initially quiet at first, Cordelia had soon joined in with her own commentary and drew plenty of laughs with her sharp and acerbic wit.

"I'm still... looking," she insisted after a few seconds, "and when I find it I'll want to furnish it right away. So getting my stuff now is just a time saver."

Xander thought he detected a certain lack of conviction in her assertion but he decided not to challenge her over it. Realizing it would just be easier to give in, he reached into the closet to grab his coat and prepared to follow her bidding.

Once in the car, heading for the center of Sunnydale, Xander asked, "Where did you have in mind? Keeping in mind we can't afford much more than a card table and two folding chairs."

"Well, I've been collecting ads for all the sales people are having. And I've been scouting out a couple of places near The Magic Box."

They wandered around town, checking some picked-over garage sales and stores that were having sales. They were sorely disappointed when nothing was suitable, affordable, or that they could both agree on.

"There's one last place," sighed Cordelia. She dug around in her purse and pulled out a wrinkled and tatty business card. She frowned as she looked at the scribbled address on the back. "This way."

"What's that?" Xander nodded at the scrap in Cordelia's hand.

Her answer was uncharacteristically halting. "An... acquantaince... of mine. From back in L.A. He told me of this place. Handcrafted. Very good quality, very affordable."

"And the reason we didn't start here?" wondered a tired and annoyed Xander.

Cordelia shifted uncomfortably. "Well, we wouldn't be their usual sort of clientele. Sort of."

"Sort of? What's that supposed to mean?" Xander knew Cordelia's work in Los Angeles had introduced her to a lot of shady characters and he realized what she was probably talking about. "It's a fence, isn't it?

"No! He said it was legit. It's just not where a... _person_ would normally go... to find furniture."

"Uh huh." Xander shook his head dubiously. He knew perfectly well that good, handcrafted furniture was anything but affordable, and this sounded too good to be true. But having no better ideas, Xander followed her toward a distinctly more demon-friendly part of town, not far from Willy's.

Xander checked his watch and looked up at the sun. He estimated there was at an hour of sunlight left, and shrugged off his concern. He barely avoided colliding into Cordelia, who had stopped at an intersection. She seemed confused when she looked up and around at the junctions of back streets and alleys within view. "We need to find Persimmon Lane. I know it's around here somewhere."

Xander looked about and pointed. "It's that alley over there." They crossed the street and entered the alley, whereupon she began pointing at each of the doors on her left as they passed by. Xander was about to ask Cordelia what she doing when he saw her lips moving silently and realized she was counting out doors. She suddenly stopped in front of an unmarked, rusted metal door set deep in the building's stonework.

Xander looked up and around. Aside from the door, the building side was a featureless wall of concrete and stonework on the first level, changing to corrugated metal siding above. The siding was broken up by numerous windows, and to Xander's surprise they were remarkably clean and in good repair.

"This it?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Cordelia answered uncertainly. But she squared her shoulders, stepped forward with as much confidence as she could muster, and knocked out a staccato "shave and a haircut". She stood back to wait, sharing a look with Xander. After a minute or two a door slot at eye-level snicked open. The glint of eyes could be just barely made out in the shadow of the opening.

"I'm looking for..." Cordelia turned the card over and glanced down at it before completing her statement, "Clem."

Xander was expecting a gruff tough-guy voice and was surprised when a pleasant and friendly one issued forth.

"How'd you find me?"

"Merl sent me."

The slide closed back with a metallic click. Xander rolled his eyes at the cheesiness and was not looking forward to the encounter. Everything about the situation was screaming that this was stolen goods they were about to deal with.

After another second passed the door opened inward and, with some hesitation, both Xander and Cordelia stepped into the cool darkness of a hallway. Xander stopped to allow his eyes to adjust to the gloom of the warehouse entrance and he got his first good look at the proprietor, presumably the "Clem" Cordelia had asked for.

Xander's stare quickly turned into a malevolent glare and he unconsciously reached for whatever weapon he might have handy. Cordelia had been half-expecting this and wasn't surprised at all.

The target of Xander's ire gave a nervous little laugh and self-consciously looked down at himself. "Oh this. It's a costume!" Clem flashed a toothy smile and waggled the folds of flesh hanging from his arm. "Yeah, yeah, still got that ole Halloween spirit!

"You're a demon," Xander said.

Clem put his hands up defensively. "No, no! Really, this is just a costu--well yeah, okay, I am. But I don't bite. Humans. Not at all, nosiree, way too hairy! I mean scary, wouldn't be right..." Clem trailed off when Cordelia suddenly eased past him and into the brightly lit main floor of the warehouse. Forgetting about Clem for the moment Xander followed after her.

The floor was crammed full of some of the most beautiful furniture Xander had ever seen. Cordelia was running around, already happily testing out different chairs and sofas. Xander stopped and gaped at all the pieces strewn about. He looked down at the table next to him and brushed his fingertips along the surface, admiring how the oiled finish had enhanced the chatoyance of the grain. His inspection quickly showed that this, and all the other pieces, were of superb quality.

Then the reality of the pocketbook set in. Xander turned around and prepared himself to be disappointed. "I know I'm going to regret asking, but...how much for this one?" He indicated an end table.

"Well, for such a fine-looking young couple as yourselves--"

Xander, eyes suddenly becoming wide, quickly shushed Clem. Nervously twisting about to make sure Cordelia was nowhere within hearing range, he relaxed when he saw her far across on the other side of the building. He was clearly relieved when he spoke again. "Oh no! Cordy and me, we just live together. Temporarily. We're not _together_ together, y'know, okay? So for God's sake don't imply anything like that when she's around, or she'll have both our nuts in a grinder!"

Suitably chastened, the non-violent demon nodded, winked knowingly at Xander, and quickly returned to business. Xander's jaw almost hit the floor when Clem quoted him an unbelievable price on the table. "And it's all hand-made?" the Xander wanted to know.

"Hand-made?" Clem looked away and shuffled his feet. "Yeah. Yeah, you could say that...um, yeah. I guess." Clem's facial folds flapped about as he nodded.

Xander eyes narrowed to slits. Demon or not, he knew when someone was being evasive and his earlier suspicions came back. "It's stolen property, isn't it?!"

"No, no, no! It's not stolen. We're strictly on the up-and-up here." Clem was clearly offended. "Pinkie promise!" He waggled his pinkie, causing several other folds of skin to flop about as well. "It's just...y'know 'hands'," Clem explained as he waved both of his, "not the only kind of appendages that can hold a plane."

Xander was easily diverted by the reference to the craftsmanship, his professional interest whetted. "Planed? Are these pieces planed smooth or sanded?"

Clem gave him a pointy-toothed grin as he warmed to the topic of his mechandise. "Sometimes teeth. Here, take a look at this." Excited, the demon lead Xander over to a coffee table with a medallion carved into the center of the polished wood. "Took a Saftok demon two weeks and three pairs of front incisors to eat that out. But it sure is beautiful, isn't it? Very fine workmanship at a very reasonable price."

Xander, nodding his agreement while lovingly running his hand over the woodwork, barely noticing when Cordelia rejoined them.

"And it's all American made," extolled Clem, still trying to convince Xander of the worth of his inventory.

"We have citizen monsters now?" wondered Xander.

"Well, not exactly citizens per se, but they _were_ born here. Or hatched. So that's something, right?"

Cordelia chose that moment to break in. "I know what we want."

"Don't I get a say in what we want?" Xander exclaimed.

She patted him on the shoulder. "My, my, you're being very funny today. Keep it up, it's attractive." She grabbed Clem's arm and took him off into the showroom to point out all the items she wanted. As they went off, Xander heard her saying, "And just so you know, we're friends of the slayer, okay? So don't try to pull anything funny."

Clem noted the items, wrote out the sales slip and presented them with the total. Xander whistled at how astoundingly reasonable it was. "You take Visa?"

"Yeah, we can do that. And since you've both been so nice--and you're not going to sic the slayer on me, are you?" Xander shook his head. "I'll give you a further 10 discount." He winked at them. "Just put in a good word for me with the slayer, would you? I run a nice, quiet business and I'd like to keep it that way."

Cordelia agreed immediately and after a moment's consideration so did Xander.

Cordelia gave Clem the address. "When can you deliver?"

"Oh, anytime after sunset. How about eight?. Is there a back entrance, y'know, where there aren't too many people?"

Xander thought for a second. "Yeah, there's a service elevator in back. And eight's fine."

Xander and Cordelia returned to the shop in an upbeat mood. Xander grinned as he listened to her ramble on, thinking aloud as she considered all the different ways to arrange the apartment with their new furnishings.

---

Not everyone's day ended so well.

Riley knew he was not alone the moment he stepped into his dark apartment. An inner sense told him he was in no danger and without trying to spot the other occupants he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. He twisted off the top and took a healthy swallow, belching and then casually flipping the top into the trash. "What do you want?" he demanded in a tired voice.

"Just to talk," came the familiar rough voice from the shadowed room.

Riley cradled the bottle in his hands and leaned back against the counter-top. "I'm really not much for talking to you guys."

Major Ellis moved into the light streaming in from the street. "Didn't mind us a few days ago."

"Riley, just give the man a chance. You don't like what you hear, we'll be on our way."

Riley tried to glare at Graham, who had also moved into the light. But whatever remained of their tattered friendship still meant something to Riley and he was only able to stare expressionlessly. Acceding to Graham's request he returned his attention to Major Ellis. "Talk fast."

"We have a Code One in Belize. A demon tribe is taking apart missionaries in the rain forest down there."

"And you're telling me this because?"

"We're going to terminate their operation. We want you to join us."

Riley eye's flicked back and forth between his friend and the Major. "I'm a civilian," he informed them.

"I don't believe that. Neither do you. You're still a soldier, Finn, you always will be. You were an important member of a team once, a leader, and now that team is asking for your help."

Riley's right eye twitched and he took another big swallow from the bottle. "I quit the government a long ways back."

"We're not government. We're Army."

"Just like you," Graham softly added.

"It's not the Initiative, Finn. We don't do experiments. None of us give a damn what makes monsters tick. We just stop 'em any way we can. And we think you can help us."

"Help? Me? You guys are staffed. What do you need me for?"

Ellis paused and then began to pace easily in front of Riley. "I've seen how you handle yourself. I've read your file. You know what you're up against and you don't panic when the situation isn't covered by the book. And you know it's always like that. And I always need people like that." He stopped suddenly, right in front of Riley, and looked at him hard. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Finn. It's the same raw deal it always was. High risk, low pay, seriously messy, and no bar stories to impress the girls when we're done. But we've got people that you can depend on and I hope they can depend on you."

Ellis squinted as he closely examined Riley's face, noting the tension in his neck and shoulders. A cunning look came over the Major. "Strange you're here, alone."

Riley looked up sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ellis shrugged. "Just thought you might be out celebrating the good news on Mrs. Summers with your girl. Joyce, isn't it? Seems like a fine lady, I'm glad she's fully recovered." Ellis' voice dropped to a much softer tone. almost a whisper, as he stepped away. "We ship out for Central America tonight at twenty-four hundred. The decision's yours."

"Think about it, Rye," said Graham.

Neither officer bothered to wait for an answer, though Graham gave him a quick, encouraging smile, before they swept out of the room. Riley was left alone, in the dark, still holding the bottle of beer. He didn't move for a long time.

---

Later that evening Riley entered the magic shop and slowly, carefully closed the door behind him so as not to jingle the bell. He stepped down and saw both Xander and Cordelia.

Xander noticed him first. "Hey, Riley! What's up?"

Riley gave quick nods to both Xander and Cordelia. "Xander. Cordelia."

Cordelia glanced up briefly from her magazine, said nothing, and resumed reading up on the latest from Paris. Even though she was still a long way from affording those kinds of clothes, she was determined to maintain an optimistic view of her future and didn't want to fall behind on what was in and what wasn't.

Now that he was further from the street and its noise Riley could hear a low arrhythmic thumping. "Buffy's in back?"

"How could you tell?" commented Cordelia.

"Yeah, she's sure the pound-master today," Xander agreed.

"Uh, okay. I guess I'll go see her." Riley shuffled off after giving a small wave.

Xander stared after him as he disappeared down the hallway leading to the back room. "Huh. I wonder what that was all about?" He looked at Cordelia curiously.

"I'd say one tin soldier is about to ride away."

Xander's surprise showed. "What have you heard, Cordy? Have you been saying something to them? I know you said something to Buffy and I'm guessing you've talked to Riley, too." Xander paused and looked suspiciously at Cordelia. "You're not trying to break them up, are you?"

Cordelia set the magazine aside angrily. "No, I'm not! And what I told Buffy, which is really none of your business, is she should appreciate what she has. That we're all here to help. Not to let things go unsaid that need saying. And I told him he was needed here and that he also needed to give Buffy a break."

Cordelia let some of her anger at Xander's unjustified accusations simmer away. She picked up the magazine again but didn't look down at it. "I expect it's the same things _you've_ been telling them. But no matter what either of us says or wants, they still have to work it out for themselves. It's not for you or me to fix their relationship."

Cordelia's justified annoyance stopped Xander's protest and she returned to her fashion news. He sat back and sighed, mulling over her comments. "You're right, Cordy. It was wrong to accuse you, and I'm sorry."

Cordelia snapped the page over and tried to stay angry at him, but his surprising and sincere apology affected her more than she would have expected. She looked up and gave Xander a small sad smile. "Apology accepted." And it never hurt to be told she was right--even if she knew it all along.

---

Buffy didn't glance up from her punching combinations, but Riley knew she was aware of his presence. He moved to watch her from the side to get a better view of her profile against the light as she worked out. Entranced by her fluid grace and controlled power, he was in awe of how it was all wrapped up in such a tiny yet smart and beautiful person. Riley allowed himself to remember how good it once was between them, and for a moment he felt the hum again, the wild pervading excitement he used to always feel in her presence.

After a long while, when it didn't look like Buffy was going to take a break, Riley brought his mind back to the here and now and cleared his throat. She finally glanced at him for the first time but didn't slow her rhythm.

"They want me back, Buffy. Tonight."

Buffy landed one more heavy kick-punch-kick combination, one that would have decapitated almost any demon she'd likely face. She grabbed the heavy bag to stop it from spinning and sagged against it, breathing heavily. "Who? Who wants you back? For what?" she asked between breaths. She didn't understand why her stomach was suddenly doing flip-flops.

Riley pushed himself off the wall, first approaching her and then walking past, his back to her. "The Army. A new demon killing unit. Just like what I thought I'd signed up for with the Initiative."

"And you're telling me now?" she demanded.

He looked back over his shoulder. "I only just found out myself." Buffy nodded but didn't look at him as he continued. "There's an op planned in South America. They want me in on it."

"South America?" Buffy suddenly looked up. "Of course you told them no, right?"

He stared down at the floor and quietly said, "I--I think I'm going."

There was a moment of stillness before Buffy exploded. "WHAT?!"

Riley took a ragged breath and turned toward her, taking one step closer. "People are getting hurt, Buffy. They need my help. I'm going. Tonight."

Buffy hadn't recovered from the initial shock of Riley's news. She felt like the room was closing in on her. "Tonight? What? What's going on, Riley? I don't understand."

"They need me."

"_I_ need you!"

Riley tilted his head as he looked at Buffy curiously. "Do you?"

"Of course I do, Riley."

His expression was almost pleading when he looked at her. "Really? Do you really need me? Or am I just convenient to have around once in awhile?"

"Convenient?" Buffy was confused. "Where's this coming from, Riley? How can you be saying these things to me?"

"I love you, Buffy. You know I do. I know you like me. A lot, I think. I'd like to think there was more. But... I don't. I'm just not feeling anything. You just don't need me."

"You want me to _need_ you?" Buffy almost sneered. "What, you want some simpering Stepford Wife--"

"No! That's exactly what I don't mean. It's... You don't let me in, Buffy. Like with your mom--"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I don't spend enough time with you after taking care of my mom. I'm sorry I can't give you all the attention you want when I also have to watch after Dawn."

"But that's just it! It isn't the time or the attention that matters. Of course you should take all the time you have to be with them. I-I just need to know that-that I matter, that I matter enough for you to let me take some of that off you, to let you have the time to be with your mom without having to worry about everything else."

"But I do have to worry about everything else!" Buffy said vehemently. "I'm the slayer. It comes with the territory. It _never_ goes away!"

"I really do understand that, Buffy. Being the slayer you've got such an incredible burden. You're under so much pressure all the time." Riley spoke slowly as he tried to put his troubled and fragmented thoughts into words that would make sense. "But don't you see? You more than anyone should need help. In spite of the fact we look to you to for answers, we also look to you to let us share your problems. Let us in, let us help. We all want to. But," Riley shrugged, "you won't. Or can't allow yourself to."

"I let you help! I need all your help. Can't you see that? Like the other day, when you and the guys went after that vampire."

Riley shook his head. "Only when you're forced to. But you don't actually want it. If you could you would keep this fight--every fight--all to yourself." Riley's posture, once hang-dog, now straightened up, almost in parade-rest. "But I'm a fighter too, Buffy, a soldier. I operate in a team. I trust and rely on my team, and they can rely me. It's how I work, it's how I want things to work."

"But I work with you guys," insisted Buffy.

"No, you really don't. Half the time it's like I'm just in your way. These guys, they need me. This mission's important and they need what I can do, what I know."

Buffy could hardly believe this was happening. Her head was moving from side to side slowly, as if that alone could prevent something that seemed unthinkable only moments ago and yet now seemed inevitable. She looked up at Riley, now truly angry for the first time. "So this is all my fault? This is it? Things got a little tough with us, I don't fit into your idea of how things work, and your solution is just to walk out?"

Riley winced and his face grew red with shame. He knew he should be more forgiving, but he wasn't up to it. He just couldn't help how he felt about her. There was a dichotomy of views he had of her. The slayer was powerfully strong and fiercely independent, an untouchable champion. And there was the human girl, with human needs and frailties, yet still strong in her humor, warmth and generosity. But as much as he wanted the slayer and appreciated all her power he most wanted the girl who was special and heroic, not an untouchable superhero who happened to be human.

"You're probably right. It's not the best way to handle it, I know that. I just have to do some thinking. And I-I'm coming back. When the mission's done I'm coming back. If there's still something between us then we can decide. See if there's a place for me with you."

Although the anger at Riley's unfairness, at the arrogance of his assumption of how she felt about him, still simmered, Buffy was beginning to feel resigned. She didn't completely understand his reasons, but Riley wanted out. And she refused to beg him to stay. At least he didn't try to claim it was for her own good, that just would have added insult to injury. She looked up at him. "Whenever it's done? How long will that be?" she asked.

"I don't know. Four weeks. Six, maybe."

"Or not at all, maybe?"

"I won't lie to you. It's dangerous. So, yeah, there's that possibility." Hesitantly Riley moved to touch her, hold her if she would let him. "Buffy I--"

Buffy turned her back on him. She may be resigned to it, but she didn't have to like it.

Riley sighed and his shoulders fell. Crestfallen, feeling like the biggest heel in the world, he turned and took several steps toward the door. He stopped, his hand resting on the door jamb, and looked back over his shoulder at Buffy. "I _will_ be back, Buffy. I promise. Then we can decide if I should stay back." She didn't react and he left.

A quick spasm shook her body. "Bastard!" she whispered fiercely, wiping at her eyes.

---

Riley returned from the back room, his steps stiff and halting rather than his usual confident stride, his face a stony mask. He held out a scrap of paper to Xander, who automatically took it.

"Well, guys. Xander. Cordelia. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. You're both good friends. But I'm gonna be gone for a little while. There's a...mission I need--They need me." He lightly punched Xander's shoulder. "Xander, keep working on that shot. I expect to get a decent one-on-one game out of you someday."

Riley turned to Cordelia. "Cordelia, it's been...an interesting experience," he cocked his head and smiled, "and a pleasure knowing you. I'd like to talk with you again about setting up that training when I get back." He took one step and then turned back. "Please say goodbye to Joyce, Dawn, and the gang for me? And please take good care of yourselves. And Buffy."

Before either of them could move or speak, Riley turned and was out the door, letting it bang shut behind him and leaving behind a confused pair. Xander's mouth was hanging open, his hand still out where he had accepted the paper from Riley.

When Xander had finally gotten his senses together and thought to go run into the training room, Buffy had already come out, looking very upset. She stared at the front door, her expression a mixture of sadness, hurt and anger.

"Buffy! What just happened? What? Riley's leaving?" Xander squeaked out.

Buffy crossed her arms tightly and nodded her head. Her expression turned grim, but her chin quivered just the tiniest bit.

"But, but...I thought..." Xander looked back forth between the door and Buffy. "You're letting him go?"

She rounded angrily on Xander. "I'm not _letting_ him go! That's not what happened." She was nearly shouting at Xander and she paused to take a moment and calm down. With her head down she drew in a deep, shaky breath. "He's got some things to take care of...somewhere..." Her hand waved about vaguely.

"That's else?" finished Cordelia, sympathetically.

Numb, Buffy nodded.

Xander looked down at the paper he'd been given. He unfolded it and saw an address written on it, a mail stop at some base in Texas. He held out the scrap to Buffy. "Here, you should probably have this," he said softly.

Buffy hesitated, then quickly reached and snatched it from him. She wiped at her eye as she looked at it. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself. He said he was coming back."

"He'd better," said Cordelia.

Even several minutes later Xander was still feeling stunned. First Oz, then Anya, and now Riley too? For the moment the young man just couldn't process how another of the people he was close to had just up and walked out like that. Who the hell would be next? he finally wondered. His eyes inexorably zeroed in on Cordelia.

_to be continued_


	7. Three's a Company

**Title: **Segue  
**Summary:** Cordelia and Xander talk a lot. Giles and Cordelia talk a little. Willow and Cordelia talk some. Tara and Buffy talk. Xander, Cordelia, Willow and a vampire talk too. Even Glory talks. Basically, there's just a whole heck of a lot of talking going on. And one fight (and almost another).  
**Warnings:** none  
**Spoilers:** BtVS:Triangle  
**Acknowledgment:** As always, my thanks and appreciation to Theo for his many helpful suggestions.

**AN:** It's been several years since I last updated this story. That's bad, very bad, and I apologize. Maybe I'll finish before we all die. On the other hand, maybe I won't (but I'll try).

* * *

**Part 6: Three's a Company**

At the top of the broad concrete steps leading to the polished steel and glass doors of the sprawling and imposing structure behind her, Cordelia turned and sharply clapped her hands together, startling Dawn following too close behind.

"Attention! Attention, people!" She waited impatiently, giving everyone a quick cool look as they quieted down. "Here's how this works."

Cordelia launched into a comprehensive and detailed shopping strategy for this particular mall. She outlined which stores had the best selections in various price ranges, which had the best bargains, which ones you could haggle down in price and which you couldn't and which were just for fun and window shopping. She included those you could slum in and yet still be considered "trendy" (at least for now) and which were so passe as to be avoided by very large distances.

Los Angeles had been quite the learning experience for Cordelia, harsh and painful. It was not one she cared to repeat but she had the sense to appreciate the hard-gained knowledge, developing a renewed confidence in her own abilities. One of the most valuable lessons was she really was as good and strong as she had always claimed to be-but had not always been certain of in early morning moments facing the mirror at her dressing table.

She had learned to become expert at dressing and presenting herself on a budget, maintaining a standard of exquisite style at least as good as when she had more money than anybody else in town. She was rather proud of that because it meant it wasn't the obvious physical beauty and foregone wealth but rather her own carefully honed skill, talent and intelligence which enabled her to be Queen C, erstwhile ruler of Sunnydale High.

Cordelia now believed it was time to give back to the lesser people and share with them the benefit of her knowledge. This was going to be her good deed: she would help Buffy get over the latest big dumb jerk in the way she was most familiar with and knew would work best, because it almost always had for her.

It was nearly a week since Riley Finn, former secret agent of the Initiative and likewise former boyfriend of the Slayer, had disappeared, headed for dangerous destinations unknown. If she bothered to look at their situation coldly and analytically, Cordelia knew Buffy bore some share of the blame in the breakup with Riley. It took two to make a relationship work after all, and Cordelia knew she had done her best to prop Finn up in Buffy's eyes as well as convince the big dumb jerk his girlfriend was worth the effort of trying to win her heart.

But-and her own personal history had confirmed this over and over and over again-fundamentally, in the end, it was always the man who would betray. It really didn't matter much what role the girl might have played. Cordelia could never forget that Xander had betrayed her trust, love and sacrifices, Doyle had lacked faith in her empathy and understanding, and Angel had abandoned the mission and her friendship. Even Gunn and Wesley hadn't tried very hard to talk her out of leaving Los Angeles, despite her vision.

Therefore Cordelia learned not to look at these things too coldly or analytically because she already knew the answer to who the guilty party was. She didn't know exactly what had gone down but Riley must have done something.

It was time to get the rebound off to a good start, to put that guy in the rear-view mirror and receding over the horizon as fast as possible. For this some ate ice-cream, or gooey chocolate. Others cried. Yet others watched every sappy romantic comedy ever made, even the ones with Meg Ryan. Some did all of the above or other things entirely.

Cordelia dressed to kill. Which-no small coincidence-meant shopping.

So before Buffy could get too down in the dumps Cordelia whipped up this little expedition in no time, getting a 'yay' vote from all concerned, sometimes by simply not accepting 'no'. She borrowed Xander's car to fetch Willow and Tara and they met Joyce, Buffy and Dawn just moments ago outside the south entrance of the Sunnydale Mall, near the rebuilt Cine-plex.

Although this excursion was ostensibly for Buffy, both Buffy and Willow tended to stick together and hang back a bit from the rest of the group, while Cordelia led or herded the others through the mall.

Tara steadfastly refused almost all make-up, which befuddled Cordelia to the core. She couldn't understand how it was possible. However Tara did let Cordelia help with clothing styles and colors that would flatter her most, tending toward neutral tones with vibrantly colored accents suggested.

Dawn was virtually Cordelia's shadow, absorbing all the knowledge she could the older woman had to offer. Observing this, Cordelia was strangely pleased by Dawn's attentiveness. With her knowledge of Dawn's presumed mystical existence Cordelia had a feeling she needed to keep Dawn close to be able to protect her better. She knew it didn't make much sense because Buffy, and Willow too she would grudgingly admit, could protect Dawn far better. Yet she was still more comfortable when Dawn was near.

Joyce was tolerantly amused by her younger daughter's fawning behavior, only a little worried Dawn would pick up a shop-till-the-credit-card-melts habit, but she had to admit Cordelia was amazingly self-disciplined and had a sharp eye for keeping within a budget. So she let Cordelia guide them along, only occasionally interjecting her views on the stores and life in general.

Through it all the women shared stories of every incident where the lesser half of the relationship was at fault. On the subject of Xander it was a little awkward with Willow around so Cordelia quickly moved on to stories about Angel, Wes and Gunn.

After quite a large fraction of the day had passed, loaded down as they trudged back to the parking lot, Cordelia could see Buffy was chattier and smiling much more often, and not going on endlessly about Riley. Cordelia was quite pleased and gave herself a mental pat on the back for a job well done.

x-x

With a rustling of bags and clicking of heels Cordelia breezed into the apartment she shared with her ex-boyfriend Xander, carrying a respectable number of shopping bags. Xander jumped up from the table he had been working at and wordlessly rushed over to take some of the load off her. A little surprised by the gracious help, Cordelia managed a quick muttered thanks.

Xander took the largest and heaviest bags while Cordelia dropped the remainder in a pile in the hallway before heading to the kitchen to heat water for afternoon tea, a habit she had picked up from Wes.

Xander hefted the bags judiciously. "I'm guessing you girls had fun?" he asked as he followed behind Cordelia.

Upon entering the kitchen she began looking for just the right tea to cap off this very nice day. She answered without looking up from her search. "Most definitely! Shopping is always a good time. A good way to rid ourselves of the memory of Riley." she interrupted her search to look up. "Oh, Wait a minute. Who's that?" Cordelia asked in mock surprise, feigning an amused forgetfulness, "Why, I've already forgotten!" She flashed a quick smile over her shoulder at her little witticism.

Xander set down his load on some of the chairs, placing one smaller bag on the counter. "Ah yes, trying to get Buffy to shop that guy right out of her head? It worked then?" He casually leaned over sideways and held the lid off one of the ceramic jars, showing her where her tea was, the one she usually favored in the evenings.

Cordelia glanced sideways at Xander with an uncertain look, thanked him again, and took a spoonful of the fragrant leaves. She then grabbed the teapot and took it to the sink to fill with water. While filling it with water she gave him a more calculating appraisal. "Present company included-the last couple of months not withstanding-guys really suck, y'know?" Cordelia huffed with heartfelt expression. "Obviously, Buffy and I will never be best..." Cordelia's eyes briefly lost focus as she tried to phrase her connection with Buffy in just the right way. "Well, _anything_ really. But this is a higher matter."

Xander smiled at her characterization and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "A sisters-under-the-skin kind of thing?"

"Yeah, something like that," agreed Cordelia, "only not sisters. And nothing under the skin. But yeah. Guys suck."

If only for his own safety and peace of mind Xander was wise enough not to pursue this line of discussion, even though he didn't really quite believe Cordelia. At least not entirely. _Once in a while,_ he thought, _we guys have our good moments._ Instead he nodded sagely and tried to think of ways guys weren't so bad.

Xander grew increasingly pensive while Cordelia waited on the water. Quickly bored of watching water heating to a boil she left the kitchen, sat on the sofa and picked up one of several slick fashion magazines she always left scattered around the apartment. She started to idly flip through the pages while waiting for the teapot's little whistle to blow.

Xander followed her with his eyes then shrugged and returned to the table where he'd been working on crew assignments for the next week. He tried to get his concentration back to the work, but Cordelia's pointed comments distracted him.

After shuffling papers around and really getting nowhere, Xander was still unable to concentrate, glancing up at Cordelia over and over again. He just couldn't stop thinking about her "all guys suck" comment with the "and that most assuredly includes _you_, Xander!" subtext. He wasn't entirely certain Cordelia had been deliberately directing some of her venom at him but it sure felt as if she had. Unconsciously he began tapping the pencil against the table as he dwelled on it.

More and more over the past month or so, he was realizing, though limited and tenuous, perhaps even temporary, he really valued and enjoyed the closeness and familiarity which had developed between himself and Cordelia. Perhaps some would call it less than friendship, but it was certainly more than mere acquaintance.

Unfortunately Xander also knew it was unlikely to last for reasons he was all too well aware of. He heaved a weary sigh.

Xander had been getting a feeling for quite some time now, a certain gnawing tension eating away at him, distracting him like a big pink elephant in the room, he thought. _Or was it white?_ He wasn't sure. Well, no matter what color it was, the tension was very real to him, it had been following him for a long, long time, and it was getting worse. He knew it was a consequence of something he had failed to do after being caught with Willow.

He didn't understand the wherefores or whys, but he knew if he was going to spend any more time near Cordelia there was something that needed saying, and soon.

He needed to apologize.

He had done so of course, at least in some of the sixty or seventy messages he'd left on her answering machine. But she likely never heard any of them. In her righteous fury it was a certainty she would have deleted any message from him without listening, and if so, Xander couldn't blame her. And leaving messages on a piece of electronics wasn't the right way either.

Here and now, Xander thought it might be possible to live with himself if he didn't say anything at all to her, that in fact it was the far easier of his choices and would maintain the status quo, this pleasant detente between them, at least for awhile longer, at least till she decided to return to Los Angeles.

But Xander knew it wasn't right, and he didn't think it was really doing anybody any good, including Cordelia herself.

As much as he dreaded the very real possibility of destroying what he now had with Cordelia, it was the uncertainty he hated most, the uncertainty that had kept him immobile, both then and now. The nervous tapping of the pencil increased. Xander admitted to himself he was afraid of making the decision, afraid of the possible consequences.

Glancing up at Cordelia, it dawned on him this fear was in large part at the root of the very problem in the first place: his inability to make and commit to a choice. Even if he had made the wrong choice then, it would have been out in the open and might even have prevented the worst of the vitriol and bitterness between them the remainder of Senior year.

Now, such a long time afterwords, he had no idea if it would really help. In raising the memory of his cheating it could very well make things worse, but he was convinced of the necessity anyway. He just needed to work himself up to it. His breathing became erratic as he started psyching himself for the task. _Soon,_ he thought, _not right this very moment, but soon._ He promised he'd tell her real, real soon now.

Having been a roommate of Xander's for a few months now, Cordelia, without even noticing it occur, had become attuned to the natural rhythms of living with him. All the little mannerisms, the sounds of his movements, the way he would look in one direction or another, all were clues into his moods and what might be going through his mind. The annoying pencil tapping thing he was doing began to register, just like that irritating hitch in his breathing. At first she thought nothing of it and tried to ignore him. But it bugged her and she soon slapped the magazine closed. "All right Xander, What is it?"

Xander, lost in his own world of morose thought, jumped. "Huh? What?" he asked frantically, looking about.

"Pencil," she said, pointing at the offending implement. "Annoying. Stop."

"What, this? Oh, right. Me put pencil down." He carefully laid the pencil down on the table.

"Good." Cordelia nodded and attempted to return to her fashion articles.

"Um, Yeah." Xander chewed on bottom his lip. Now that he'd reached the decision to say something to her and was committed to it he again tried to return to the lists of workmen to be scheduled, which days, which crews.

When Cordelia next glanced over the top of the page she saw him staring vacantly at a point just over her left shoulder.

"Well?" she snapped.

Startled again, Xander took his time to shake his head and clear his thoughts before he answered.

"Well what?" he asked idiotically.

Cordelia sighed and rolled her eyes in frustration. Over the last week or so, there had more and more of these kinds of episodes with Xander. This time it ended. "Xander, just tell me, all right? What the hell is going on with you?"

This was a little sooner than he was quite ready for and Xander squirmed, sucking in a deep breath. _This is it,_ Xander said to himself. _Time to man up, because it's only going to get worse if you don't. Okay, here goes... _

He stood and began to pace. "Well, I was thinking, y'know?" he began slowly, "This roommates thing, it's working out not so bad, right?" Xander paused and pointed back and forth between them with his thumb. "I mean considering, um, _everything_. Right?"

Cordelia nodded her head slightly. "Yeah, I guess so. All things considered. It hasn't been too bad. Not bad at all, really." In fact the last couple of months had gone amazingly well, far different than what she might have predicted at the beginning.

Xander nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "And yet-"

Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "And yet what?"

"Don't you feel it?" Xander blurted. He looked at her pleadingly, waiting for her to just get it, but she didn't seem to be catching on. "This thing between us?"

"What thing? What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?"

"No. What 'thing'?"

"You can't feel it? The thing?" Hysterical overtones were creeping into his voice.

Cordelia crossed her arms and shook her head no. "You're getting scary, Xander. In easy, simple words, just start from the beginning. Tell me what's going on."

She waited as he shifted about on his feet, looked around, took a breath and cleared his throat. He took another deep breath and started again, unable to look at her. "Yeah. Right, okay. Starting over. Here it is." He took yet another two quick breaths, stood straight, and tried to look her in the eye.

"I am...I am sorry."

Cordelia blinked but otherwise her expression didn't change. "You're sorry?" she said wonderingly.

Xander's attempted apologetic half-smile faltered. "Yeah. I, ah, I thought you should know that."

"Sorry? Okay, I know I'm going to regret asking," she informed the ceiling before returning her attention to Xander, "but sorry for what?"

Xander frowned. Hmmm. This he hadn't counted on. Here he was, doing the brutal manning-up, being honest, you-deserve-to-trample-me thing and why wasn't it so obvious to her when he was being so obviously obvious? How do you explain the obvious?

"W-w-well," he stuttered awkwardly, now unable to look her in the eye no matter how hard he tried, "For everything. For the-", he shifted on his feet and swallowed hard as he struggled to get out truthful words, "-the cheating. With Willow. All of it. I'm sorry." He tried the apologetic smile thing again. It crumbled even quicker than before.

Cordelia's expression didn't change but this time it was she who didn't look back. "Oh. That."

She was genuinely _not_ expecting anything like this from him. Cordelia set the magazine down beside her and sat back to consider. "So. You're sorry, is that it? For cheating on me?" Cordelia seemed to be tasting the sound of those words and she wasn't liking it much.

"Um, yeah," Xander agreed with some trepidation, brightening slightly to a wary expectancy now that she seemed to understand.

Her voice rose a trifle. "_Now_ you're sorry?"

"Huh?" Xander raised his hands defensively. "Hey, no, no! Not now-"

She flashed him a sudden angry look.

"-No, no! Not _just_ now. I have been. Always. Y'know?"

"No, Xander, I really, really don't know," she snapped. Cordelia could feel her face becoming hotter, flushed.

"Well, that's just it. See, when you mentioned Riley and all, and it got me thinking, and remembering, and...and, well, it sorta occurred to me I never told you face to face. That I was, I mean. Back then." Xander's rush of words wound down quickly. "That I still am. Sorry," he finished lamely.

Cordelia remained silent for another long minute, but Xander could see an ever so slight tension developing in her posture, a tightness around her lips, rising color in her cheeks, a flashing of the eyes; all certain signs of her rising fury.

"If you were really sorry, then you wouldn't have done it in the first place," she stated in such an absolutely icy calm and controlled tone it scared him enough to make him back up half a step.

"Well, yeah, that's a good poin-"

Xander's unexpected reminder of one of the most painful times of her life released a flood of emotions she had thought bottled up, long past, buried and forgotten. How wrong she was!

"What you did-"

She had to stop, the words knotting up in her throat, and closed her eyes tightly. She tried to control herself before continuing. "What you did to me, there can be no excuse. No excuse!"

Cordelia could feel the tight control on her emotions slipping. She couldn't allow this in front of Xander and it was making her angrier that again he could get to her so easily. She did not want Xander to know he could have that much effect upon her. She'd learned it was a mistake the first time she let herself fall for him, and be damned if she would let it happen again.

"I know, I just-"

"You just betrayed me! You cheated on me! You looked me straight in the eye, Xander, and you lied to me! Betrayed me! Nobody does that to me." Cordelia's breathing had become very ragged and she again had to fight to calm herself.

Xander hung his head. Willow had been right after all. An apology was not even a down payment on his penance. He deserved to pay and pay and pay, and keep on paying with guilt and shame, till the end of his worthless life for his transgression. He had well and truly earned it. He wanted to shrink into a little invisible bug and crawl under the carpet were he belonged.

After a few seconds she went on, now so much more quietly than before. "It hurt." She squeezed back hot tears. "You hurt me so much. I didn't think anyone could hurt me like that." She let her head drop into her hands, almost hiding herself as Xander gawked. "Didn't even know I could be," she whispered.

Cordelia recalled the humiliation she later endured in front of everyone at school, but her outlook since then had changed and she now didn't care so much what other people-especially people who were unimportant in her life-thought of her. The physical pain she hardly remembered, and didn't compare at all to some of the things she'd been through in the last year or so with Angel Investigations. But...

"I lo-I believed you, Xander. I believed _in_ you. I thought you were one of the good guys, someone who liked me back. Someone who wanted to be with me. Someone I could trust. Instead you-" A small choked sob escaped her and she hiccuped.

What she now remembered most was the emptiness afterward and the overwhelming loneliness when she was released from the hospital.

Her parents were useless, more interested in their business affairs or social engagements than being with their daughter. Xander had known the household staff better than she did, and they stayed out of sight while doing their jobs. She couldn't go back to the sheep, she found that out the hard way. Xander's friends, who'd become her friends too by that time she thought, were not a possibility.

There was nothing, nothing at all. In the blink of an eye there was suddenly no one she could trust, no one she could rely upon, no one to hold and comfort her. No one who cared about her.

Cordelia had liked the reflection of herself she saw mirrored in Xander's eyes, the way he had seen her, seeing beyond the Queen C 'tude. He had been the only person she knew who could put up with her bitchiest moments or give back as good as he got and still be able to find the hidden 'Cordy'. Without realizing it happening, Xander had become a foundation of her life.

His betrayal had kicked it all out from under her with a sudden forceful brutality that still took her breath away.

Xander looked at her and was seeing her in a way he'd rarely ever seen before, the last time when her joyous smile at rescuing him had crumpled upon seeing him and Willow embraced. She looked so small and lost, so unsure, so vulnerable. It dawned on him what she was really talking about, She had really felt something for him.

Somehow, in their tempestuous, often aggravating and yet always oddly exciting relationship she had fallen for him. And he had been such a blind dolt he'd missed it.

She barked out a single laugh and had to make an effort to stop before she'd be unable to stop at all. "And you think 'sorry' just fixes all that?" She waved her hand dismissively, speaking into the air. "Poof, Xander's sorry, everything's okay now, we return you to your regularly scheduled program. Is that it?"

"No, I, I-," He really had no idea what to say and closed his mouth.

Cordelia stared back at him, waiting for what seemed like eons.

The teapot whistled. She let it sound for a few more seconds then abruptly got up, stepped past Xander, wiping at her eyes quickly, trying to keep him from seeing her do so. She twisted the knob on the stove hard over and let the two-tone noise slowly die off. When she turned back to Xander her chin still quivered slightly, arms held tight across her body.

He tried not to fidget but soon was unable to look her in the eye anymore and resumed a careful inspection of the carpet just in front of his boots.

She sighed. She sometimes tried to convince herself she wasn't but Cordelia was honest enough to know she hadn't always been the easiest of people to be with. But even still... "Was it me, Xander? Was I that bad a girlfriend?"

Xander eyes snapped up. "No, Cordy, No! It was never-"

"Then why, damn it?"

He swallowed hard. "Because I am."

"No," she said impatiently, "I mean why did you do it? Why did you cheat on me?" She wiped her eyes again, this time not caring if Xander saw.

_Oh. That._

Xander's gaze slid away from Cordelia, not really looking at anything. His expression twisted as he thought, jaw clenching slowly. It was only the same damn impossible question he'd been asking himself for the last two years.

In one way or another he'd known all along he needed to apologize, a very small token of atonement for injuries he'd caused. He also had a pretty good handle on the reasons it was necessary, as much for her as for himself.

What he still couldn't get his head around, what still really twisted his guts or make him want to take swan dives into empty swimming pools, was why he'd cheated on Cordelia in the first place. Why was he unable to stop kissing Willow? Was it just that he'd simply been a hormonal idiot?

Often in the days just after, in front of Buffy or Willow, he said all kinds of outrageous things about how much she didn't matter to him, had never mattered, how he was over her and on to having a new life full o' fun. But the guilt and shame could get so bad he really thought he might get sick all over the floor and he had to shy away from thinking about it at all.

The times when he forced himself to look hard in the mirror, to stop and really dig deep, he still hadn't been able to come up with an answer he could believe and understand, one which he could point to and say 'There! That's the reason! I did this and she was that and Betelgeuse aligned with Saturn's second moon and the Hellmouth made me do it and so on and so forth and what the hell was I thinking?'.

This time however, unlike before when he could only shake his head in anguished frustration and guilt and just try to make it through to the next moment of his life, _this_ time he really had to figure it out. There would be no more dodging, no more avoiding, not when he could literally feel the pain in Cordelia's eyes heavy upon him. Not when he knew the course of the rest of their relationship from this moment forward hinged upon it.

Why? Indeed, why?

For reasons he didn't understand at the time, and certainly couldn't have explained to anyone, after the lustful, uncontrollable haze of their hidden liaisons had (somewhat) worn off he was shocked to discover he liked Cordelia. Really, actually, genuinely liked her. A lot! And strangely it was something far more than the kissing and the obvious hotness of her.

Cordelia could be fun, exciting, passionate and intelligent. She could be amazingly sensitive and thoughtful at the most unexpected moments, yet so seemingly callous, shallow and self-absorbed at others, and then totally surprise him yet again the next. His heart raced whenever they were together. It was crazy, heaped on top of insanity, with a big helping of bizarro on the side, how his feelings for her had changed so radically in so short a time, from contempt, disdain and hatred to, to...

To what? Admiration of all the things he'd never known before and was learning about her? The endless surprises when they were alone and away from the upkeep of public reputations by the depths and sensitivity she could express? Finding she had a dry quirky sense of humor all her own? A desire to care for her, help her through all the trials and tribulations of high-school, of inattentive parents, of an uncertain future? Trust in shared secrets with her? Amazement at the stength and bravery she showed literally every day. Wanting her to be happy just so she would be happy?

Had anyone thought to ask him at the time, Xander probably would not have used the word "love". He'd never felt it before and couldn't have recognized it. Maybe it had been; he just didn't know. But whatever that something was he'd had with her, he only fully realized how special it was the split second she turned away from him and started back up the collapsing steps of the factory. Something he knew he had irretrievably lost when she told him to stay away.

Xander had also been more than mildly baffled their entire time together, especially toward the end as their relationship deepened, before the cheating and even during. Even when they weren't bickering, little unwelcome doubts would creep into his thoughts, thoughts which would make him wonder why on Earth Cordelia was still with him, why she just never 'woke up' and smelled the moron, the real Xander Harris: King of Cretins.

Sometimes the doubts would be worse exactly when they were most comfortable and at ease with each other, when she let down her guard in quiet, private times together, the times she could be the wonderfully sweet, funny, engaging, thoughtful 'Cordy' never seen in public. It was then it would sometimes occur to him how much he didn't measure up. The times she might give him a private little smile which turned him to Xander-jelly and he suddenly couldn't understand why she didn't realize what a horrible mistake she was making with him.

But she never did. If anything, Cordelia seemed to enjoy being with him even more as time went by, which was totally mind-boggling! It made no sense, not in this universe or any other! It scared him. It would have been inconceivable to him to think the reason might be she loved him, discovering only now. too late, she had. He choked on the knowledge he'd been a far worse shit-heel than he'd first thought at the time.

Although it was always a rush to be with Cordelia, or even anticipate being with her, it didn't mean it was always easy. Before their couple-hood a stream of her most invective tirades just bounced off him like a feather off a brick wall. They didn't any more. She could flay him to the core with a single withering look or biting comment.

Willow on the other hand was soft and understanding. She would always be his uncritical, undemanding best buddy. She was his Willow, his oldest friend. Willow would be his friend even despite her obvious and continued disapproval of his relationship with Cordelia. She was accepting and comforting of him almost no matter what he said or did or how he behaved. It was so easy to be with her, perhaps too easy.

And sometimes there's just being eighteen and all the stupid, horrible things that went with that age: failing into easy bad habits, thoughtless selfishness, always thinking there was something better than what you already had right in front of you, avoiding hard choices, never taking responsibility.

As a very young kid Xander sometimes imagined the kind of person he would like to be-an amalgam of caricature heroes he saw in the movies or comic books: brave and stalwart to a fault, dedicated, strong and silent, thoughtful and generous, forthright and honest. He truly wanted to be that. He was also painfully aware he wasn't, not even close, that he was his parent's son.

Could any of it be enough to explain the 'fluke'?

_How do I explain everything in a way that would make sense to her?_ he wondered. Heck, he wasn't even sure it made sense to him. How to explain he had fallen short, wanting, deficient despite idealized best intentions?

She was still waiting for an answer.

Xander opened his mouth to start at the beginning, to see if the telling of it would somehow create an understandable whole. "I-"

But he couldn't say the words. He shook his head violently. There was no acceptable explanation, he realized. Everything he remembered, the confusion, the wonder, the ease of Willow's company, heroic behavior and better intentions: none of it was worth a damn thing!

In the final analysis he understood he was falling back on easy lies and pat rationalizations. He'd had clear choices, and the opportunities to make the right ones. He simply had not.

He shrugged and sucked in a deep rattling breath. "What can I tell you, Cordelia? Being with you was the just about the most incredible time of my life and I totally messed it up. I-I was not the person I wanted to be, not the person you deserved to have. I know what I did can't be undone and it can't be fixed. God knows I never meant to cause you pain, but I did anyway. As for why...young and dumb and Xander is about as good a reason as any I can figure out. For whatever it's worth, Cordy, I truly am sorry."

He waited for the punishment he knew was his due.

"And so here we are," said Cordelia, finally breaking the silence. "You're 'sorry', Xander?"

Xander wasn't sure if she was putting sarcastic air-quotes around that or not.

"Kinda' late, don't you think?"

Okay, now there was definite sarcasm dripping on the floor. Xander shuffled his feet before answering and shrugging, then started rubbing the back of his neck again as he spoke haltingly. "Well, I, ah, I did try and call. I don't remember everything I was saying, y'know? Must have been a hundred messages I left on your machine. I didn't have anything figured out, that I should have told you in person. When I finally did, you weren't ready to listen, and it-well-it just seemed best to leave it that way. I mean, with the hating and stuff. I earned it."

That made her think for a moment. She had to admit her anger, fully justified she thought, never would have let her accept any kind of repentance or apology from him. Her wounded pride would not have allowed her to listen to anything he had to say. But though her anger was justified, she had since learned pride can a funny thing. It sometimes makes a bad situation worse than it already is, sometimes not allowing you to even conceive of a way it can be made better.

After all she'd been through, the heartache of a broken teenage romance just didn't quite stack up as it once did. It still hurt and still made her angry if she dwelled upon it, but she was now able to put it in a context that also included good memories and experiences with Xander.

As Cordelia looked upon Xander, miserable, plainly and truly remorseful, Cordelia knew she could say anything to him, deliver any insult, make any accusation, place any demand upon him, and he would gladly accept it, abase himself in any way.

_It's certainly tempting,_ she admitted to herself.

"Now what?" she asked instead. "Are you expecting some kind of forgiveness?"

"No-o-o," Xander cautiously said, "Ahh, that, uh, that I think would be going too far. I don't think I, um...deserve that."

She was uncertain if he was making a statement or asking the question. The concept that she might actually be capable of forgiving him his actions was disturbing, even as she realized in action she already had done so since Graduation. Actually saying it though, making it clear to him, well that was a hurdle all its own. She just didn't know if she was ready yet. She didn't know what more was needed or what more had to change for her to be ready for forgiveness. She looked up when she realized Xander was still speaking.

"I mean, it would be great if I could fix this somehow, to put all of it right some way, but I don't see how I could possibly make up for-"

"How if I get to shove a bar through _your_ gut?" Cordelia said with a healthy amount of vindictive enthusiasm.

Xander looked shocked, his eyes practically bulging. Was she serious? Ye' cats!

"Errr...would that really make it better?" It crossed his mind it was probably a good thing they weren't doing this at one of his construction sites, with rebar, bolts, nails and scrap lying everywhere.

Cordelia settled back and actually smiled a little. She honestly believed he might go for it, and as tempted as she was, well... "No, I don't. So you can calm down." She stepped in front of him and laid her hand on his arm. "I guess 'sorry' is at least something."

"It doesn't seem like enough," he argued. "It _isn't_ enough!"

"No-o-o, maybe not," she demurred. He still seemed ready to make the sacrifice but she refused to let herself be tempted. "But it's a place to start."

Xander bowed his head. Cordelia made a decision she hoped she wouldn't regret.

"Okay, you've apologized. Apology accepted. Terms of Forgiveness still to be determined. So what does this mean now?"

He looked up. "I want you to be happy, Cordy, and I'll do whatever you need for that. If you need me gone and out of your life right now then I'm on the next plane to Timbuktu."

Cordelia smiled. "That's probably not necessary, but I'll keep it in mind. And it hardly seems fair to the Timbuktu-ans."

Xander seemed relieved. "If it's somehow possible, if things could be good between us?" he ventured.

"Well, they certainly aren't bad, right?"

He nodded.

"So where are we, then? Just roommates?"

Xander gave a slight shake of his head. Not a denial, but an admission of ignorance. Roommates? Was that all? He didn't know, he really didn't know after everything that had just happened. But maybe...

"A work in progress?" he hesitantly asked.

She thought for awhile, then slowly her smile widened to a grin and she nodded her head. "Yeah, I like that." Cordelia put out her hand, took Xander's when he finally put out his, and give it a soft squeeze and gentle shake.

"We'll work, and we'll see where we progress."

x-x

"Y-you're quite sure you're up to this?" anxiously asked Giles, leaning over to examine Cordelia's work.

Cordelia deigned to look up from the paperwork and respond with a glare and subtly arched brow.

Giles straightened up immediately, restraining himself from taking a step back. "Err, yes, quite. Well, then. Then, ah...right." Giles pursed his lips. "So I guess that's it. I'll be back in a week. Don't forget the delivery tomorrow from House of Wonderments."

"Of course not, Giles," Cordelia answered, allowing a tinge of irritation into her voice, "I placed the order."

For the hundredth time that afternoon Giles patted his coat just over the inside pocket, assuring himself the trans-Atlantic ticket was still there. "Well right. Then I'll be off I suppose."

"Have a nice trip. Learn things," she called sweetly.

Giles paused uncertainly at the door and looked back to see Cordelia already hard at work again. He wanted to pass on yet more words of advice then wisely decided against it. He shut the door softly and was on his way.

Cordelia, though a touch anxious herself, was more than certain she could handle the Magic Box in Giles' absence. She was even looking forward to it, and in any case would never admit she wasn't capable.

Cordelia had been working at the shop for quite some time now. As self-nominated Assistant Manager she had not only done her fair share of the scut work but also very significant executive decision making. The clear success of the Magic Box was as much due to her effort and input as it was to Giles. More interested in the watching over Buffy and Dawn, and paging through moldy books, Giles was more than happy to let someone else actually run the business for him. Looking back he knew he was fortunate Cordelia had wedged her way into that part of his life.

As Cordelia grew into her role she decided she rather liked the idea of being a business woman. She hadn't completely abandoned her original dreams of making it big in Hollywood, but she was beginning to also have little daydreams of being a Titan of Industry, a real mover and shaker.

Of course she'd be attired in only the latest chic and most expensive business suits and dress styles from Europe. She would order her underlings about and contemplate her empire from a corner office with a view. Nothing but first-class travel and five-star hotels as she jetted about her empire on business trips.

Even if the industry was a bit esoteric (okay, downright bizarre) and small potatoes like magic curios, a Titan was still a Titan! It might be worthless trinkets and weird plant roots today, but she had ideas on how to expand. She had even gone so far as to check out UCS offerings for business classes.

Of course, world-saving came first, but there was no reason her day job couldn't be done with style and panache, she figured. You could help save the world and be poor, or help save the world and be rich. To her there seemed no reason to prefer the former.

x-x

"Oh, Scab-"

"Scrad, Your Wonderful Infallibleness." Scrad ducked his head obsequiously.

Glory's eyes snapped around to land fully on the little gnome-like creature with scaly, scabby skin. "You look like a scab, therefore you're Scab!"

"Of course, most Indescribable Greatness." Scab fawned and bowed some more as he stepped back. He stopped and even relaxed a little when Glory settled down into the tub.

"Tell me more of our progress," she commanded airily. Scab's eyes drooped down. "There has been progress, yes?"

"We have several very promising leads-"

"I think we should get more help from the local denizens. Perhaps look into recruiting some. There must be some incentives we can give them?"

Scab tried to smile his agreement but it quickly turned into a frown. "We _have_ tried, oh Light of The All Knowing of, ah, of Everything, but even the resident demons hereabouts who dislike humans don't see any advantage helping you destroy this world and everything in it."

"Why would they think that?" asked Glory, genuinely perplexed.

Scab paused to see if Glory seriously didn't get it. She may be all-powerful, but it was clear to even her most ardent followers she was much less than bright.

"It seems at least one or two of them know the story of the Key and what it's used for. Word gets around."

"Hmmm." Glory purred as she thought about this.

"Might I suggest-"

"_I_ do the thinking around here, you little bat turds! So let me think!" Glory settled even further back in the tub, swirling some suds around. She chafed, struggled and raged against this abominable physical human existence she was trapped in, but warm bubble baths were a small consolation. She would have lots of them built when she returned to her home dimension.

But without the Key in her grasp she knew it was impossible to return to her dimension. The irritating but surprisingly strong little human girl must be tied up with it somehow. Even she was bright enough to see that the brethren of Keepers-the now-extinct order of monks who had somehow acquired the Key-must have picked this most dangerous location for a very good reason.

x-x

"You break it, you buy it," Cordelia absently called from behind the main counter before returning to her affairs.

In a strictly short-term practical sense, Cordelia would admit Glory's lurking presence was good for business. The numbers in front of her didn't lie. The Hellmouth's normal effects, combined with all of Miss Indiscriminately-Destructo-Gal's shenanigans, was causing general supernatural badness to trend up.

The town's human and even not so human population naturally gravitated towards magic and spells, witchcraft, the occult, and demonic lore and prophecy as a means to provide something which might help ward it off. Since the Magic Box was virtually the only game in town, and Cordelia had done such an excellent job letting everyone know that very fact, this meant business also trended up.

On the other hand, Cordelia knew Glory had to be eliminated. If not for general world saving purposes there was herself, Xander, her friends, and Dawn to consider. She just had to figure out a way to keep the customers coming back after Glory was gone.

Although Cordelia was sure they would eventually prevail over Glory in some fashion, it worried her they still really had no idea yet of what they were up against, or even what Glory intended. Hence Giles' trip back to England and the Council. He may be on the outs with them, but he had the only sane, active slayer around-Cordelia unconsciously touched her cheek where Faith had struck her-on the Hellmouth. Surely the Council would see reason and provide some help?

One way or the other, Glory was a problem, a real poke in the newt's eye. With the ultimate goal in mind she thought it a good idea to help Willow and Tara find a way to stop Glory. Cordelia was even allowing the witches to experiment with some of the store's inventory, looking at the expense as an investment. It was the best investment of all, one that could save her life, one that would save Dawn's.

Tara glanced at her watch. She did a double-take and looked more closely before quickly standing up, almost knocking over the heavy chair, announcing, "I've got class. Should we wrap it up?" She began gathering her scattered books, loose notes, highlighters, pens and general student debris into neat piles, ready to drop into her UC Sunnydale "Sunshine Good" backpack.

Willow, excited about the progress they'd made so far, frowned as she watched her girlfriend gather together her stuff. "Oh darn. I guess-"

Tara put out her hand to forestall Willow from getting up. "No, wait. You keep going. Please!" When she saw Willow's frown deepen in indecision, half wanting to stay and half wanting to leave with her, she said, "But we'll still meet at the coffee house and go over everything before we head up to the coven, okay?"

Only somewhat reluctantly, Willow agreed. She gave Tara a kiss goodbye and was back at work with no small measure of enthusiasm before Tara was even fully out the door. She was quickly engrossed in the work again and hardly noticed the time passing by. According to their notes and research, and the promising results so far, she felt they were really onto something.

She mixed the last of the items together into the twice-blessed crucible, then carefully poured a small quantity of the smelly liquid into the palm of each hand. She held them together and whispered the words from the incantation she and Tara had been working on. There was a slight pop in the air and the lights dimmed for a moment. She even felt a "push" or distortion in the barely perceived field of surrounding supernatural energy.

Willow frowned. Apparently nothing had happened. After carefully looking around to verify that indeed was true, Willow's initial elation turned into a sullen and disappointed, "Oh fudge!" She grabbed up some paper towels and began cleaning herself off.

x-x

Tara arrived, as usual, well before the professor had arrived. Her pens, pencils, highlighters and notebook were neatly placed on the swing-out desk and she had the course book turned to the most recent subject the professor had reviewed the previous class.

Even though Tara made sure to save the seat next to her for Buffy, the Slayer bustled into class just as the professor was getting started, earning her the usual tired sigh and resigned look from him. Moreover Buffy and Tara didn't get a chance to thrash out the gossip of the day during class.

After class they walked alongside each other when Buffy realized Willow hadn't met them afterward.

"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked as she craned her neck, looking this way and that. As close as Buffy was with Tara, she really wanted to talk with Willow. Despite the shopping trip, she was once again in some serious need of wallowing in the ongoing post-Riley emotional roller-coaster ride, and there was no one like Willow to weep, whinge, and wallow with.

"Oh, we're supposed to meet at the SCoHo," Tara answered, referring to the on-campus Sunnydale Coffee House, "Xander's going to give us a ride to Coven San Cueller-on-the-Cliff."

Buffy did a double-take. "Wa-huh? I'll bet you can't say that ten times real fast!"

Tara ducked her head and smiled shyly, shaking her head. She saw Buffy get a distracted air about her as her eyes focused onto distant nothing. Obviously Buffy was trying to recite the coven's name ten times real fast in her head.

Tara giggled quietly for a moment. Buffy could be just so weird!

"They have some old manuscripts or something that might help us with the anti-vampire spell we're trying to create. And they agreed to help. So off we go."

"Mind if I tag along?"

Tara shook her head that she didn't and they proceeded across campus to the SCoHo to meet up Willow.

x-x

The spell was still missing something and Willow was darned if she wouldn't figure out what it was.

She really wanted to show Tara how good she was at the magic. She flipped through several more pages of the book in front of her, mumbling some of the passages. Her eyes widened when she found one which seemed particularly relevant, describing an event from hundreds of years ago when a Spanish conquistador seemed to achieve a result very much like what they were trying for.

Willow re-read the passage, translating the mixed Spanish and Latin in her head, softly speaking it aloud. "... sword of iron ... casting upon the flame ... gathering ashes ... to add ..." Willow sat back, her forehead wrinkling in concentration as she tried to decipher the meaning.

"Iron. Flame. Ashes. Hmmm." She repeated the words to herself like a mantra, sitting back and closing her eyes.

She tried to apply the techniques Giles had been teaching her about divining the meanings of ancient texts, how to tease out the inner nuggets of useful truth buried within the chaff of falsehoods, self-serving exaggeration, and useless tripe. She quickly ran through several ways to think about the semantics and context of the words and soon hit upon needing ashes of burnt iron.

She smiled beatifically when she suddenly understood what the confusing words were saying to her, what key item might have been missing from the original brew she and Tara had started with.

"Ah, Cordy?" she called out, "Do you have any ferric oxide?"

"Farrah-what-side?" Cordelia answered from the counter. She got up and came around to the table Willow was working at.

"Ferric oxide. You know? Rust. Do you have any rust in the shop?"

Cordelia looked offended. "Willow, look around you. Does it look like I'd allow any rust in my place of business?" Cordelia glared her challenge, hands on planted on her hips.

"Hmmph." Willow tapped her finger on her chin as she thought about sources of rust. "Can I check out the basement storage area?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Be my guest."

Several minutes later a triumphant Willow returned, carrying an envelope full of reddish-brownish-orangish flakes and powder. "Iron sewer piping and brackets." She gave Cordelia a smug smile and hurried over to the table to pick up her casting and concocting from where she left off.

"Whatever," Cordelia sniffed. "What exactly am I letting you use our valuable inventory for, anyway?"

Willow looked up at Cordelia's question. "It's an idea I-we, that is Tara and I had. To help fight vampires. You know they burn up in the sunshine, right?" She dumped the old contents of the small clay bowl they were using as a crucible into the small trash can under the table and began carefully cleaning it out with sassafras leaves and holy water, getting it ready for another try.

Cordelia impatiently nodded. "Yeah yeah: direct sunlight, wooden stake to the heart, cut off the head, fire," she said as she ticked off the points on her fingers. "Got it all. Crosses and holy water hurt but don't kill. Willow, I've been doing this nearly as long as you have. And I worked for Angel."

"Sorry." Willow shrugged. "So anyway, we were thinking what if we could create some sunlight of our own whenever we needed it? We could just like, say 'Cheese!' and Poof! Break out the brooms time!"

Cordelia cocked her head thoughtfully. She didn't know if Willow could actually pull it off. It seemed like such an obvious idea that someone must have tried it before. But even if Willow was never going to be a good friend, she had to admit Willow was one of the smartest people she ever knew. "Okay, sounds good so far. What's the hang-up? Why hasn't anybody else abra-cadabra'd a sun before?"

Willow started re-arranging and re-mixing the extra material she and Tara had collected, keeping the small pile of rust separate until it was needed. She answered as she worked. "Well, partly I think it's so obvious that it just never crossed anybody's mind to try it. Y'know 'sunshine' and 'daytime' go together, but not 'sunshine' and 'nighttime' and-"

"Okay, enough word association games, Miss Freud."

"Ah, yes. Okay. Mostly, sunshine is just pretty complicated stuff. We don't know which part of it, or what combination of parts, actually does the trick of making the _un_-dead become _dead_-dead. So a big flashlight might make them blink, but no flamy-ness."

Despite herself Cordelia was actually curious about Willow's notions. "And that's what you're doing here? Trying to figure out how to make the right pieces of the sun?" She puzzled over it for a moment, but something still didn't sound quite right. "I don't know, still seems there must be a catch there somewhere."

"Well not the _whole_ Sun, but maybe just a small piece of it. And just for a moment. Because, I mean, if we really brought the sun here, then WOAH! We'd melt everything, including ourselves, and then what would be the point?

"So Tara and I got some ideas," Willow explained, indicating the books and journals and hand-written notes in front of her, "But mostly we're working from first principles of physics and magic and primal forces and kind of blazing a new trail on our own. It's really kind of exciting! I mean, who knows, maybe someday there'll be a book of magic and spells by Tara and me. We can't always rely on the ancients, right? We're smart too."

As she stirred in each of the new items with a twig from a pine tree, she said, "And then we'll have to test it at full scale, I guess." Willow frowned slightly then beamed. "Oooh, that might get interesting! Probably have to go out into the desert so nobody gets hurt if, well, if there were too much sun. Hey, road trip!" Willow said brightly.

Cordelia pointed at what Willow was working with. Willow laughed "Oh, no this is just a tiny itty-bitty bit. It won't be any more than a match. If my calculations are correct." Willow's enthusiastic smile fell, returning full force with false bravado.

"You're just a wild and crazy fun machine, Willow. Make sure to forget me when you guys go tripping."

Willow made an exaggerated and mocking pout. "I'm sorry Cordelia, there won't be any malls for, oh, maybe 25 or even 50 miles. We'll miss you.

"Any way, even after today there's still some help we need from the coven. Once Tara's done with her class we'll be heading out there. So far everything is too slow, we'd be dead by the time we got everything put together just right. And it's not stable. Once things are set we'll have only a few seconds to say the final words and-"

Cordelia was already bored by Willow's enthusiastic nattering. "Okay, fine, Willow, great. Go for it. But you break it you buy it." She flipped her hand and went back to far more interesting things, such as inventorying the vulture warts.

Willow returned to carefully comparing the two texts before her, one a high-level academic journal article on precise historical changes in the sun's emission spectrum over the last several sun-spot cycles, and the other an ancient book with a chapter devoted to conjuring up light in a time of dark. There was a third book on chemical compounds and signature spectra, and a fourth very large compendium of ingredients for potions, spells, glamours, poisons, etc. Willow was taking each step very carefully, she wanted to get this right.

x-x

"Xander!"

Xander whipped around, sloshing mocha on his boots. He didn't really like the coffee part all that much, he just wanted the hot chocolate-y goodness part (and the whipped cream topping), but a mocha no-whip sounded somewhat more manly than just hot chocolate, or so he thought. He was keenly aware of the importance of manliness with all these hot young co-eds about, even if he was much better on the theory than the actual practice of said theory.

Buffy laughed as she snatched some napkins on her way past the counter and began dabbing at him. Xander's keen manliness sense was telling him this also was not too macho but at least no one knew the Buffster _wasn't_ his girlfriend. He tried to smile in a knowing leer, hoping to make the guys around him jealous. Still, he did his best to get the napkins from her.

"What are doing here?" asked Buffy, finally letting Xander do his own clean-up. She stood on her tip-toes and tried to scan the whole room over everybody's heads. "Where's Willow?"

Still dabbing at himself, Xander answered, "I was supposed to meet her here. I guess I'm playing chauffeur for some little jaunt?" He glanced at the mantle clock over the fake gas fireplace still burning despite an unseasonably warm day outside. "Guess I'm a little early." He smiled sheepishly.

"And that has nothing to do with extra time to check out the girls in shorts and tanks, does it?" Buffy knew her Xander well.

Xander looked hurt even as he took one last perusal of all the long tanned legs everywhere. Southern California in the winter could not be beat! "Moi? I'm far too gentlemanly than that!"

"Uh huh. A horny unattached gentleman." She laughed to take the sting out of her comment.

"Maybe she's still at the Magic Box? Seemed like she and Tara were neck deep in some pretty complicated voodoo-hoodoo or something."

"Willow's still at the Magic Box?"

Xander took the time for a noisy slurp of his now tolerably cool drink. "Yuh huh, I guess."

Now Buffy looked a little worried. "You left Cordelia and Willow alone?"

"No, Tara was with-"

"No she isn't," announced Tara from behind him his right ear, arriving from her side trip to the bathroom.

"Tara!" Xander took a moment for his heart to calm down as both girls laughed at him. "Tara, it's you! And you're here. And not there," observed Xander most intelligently, waving vaguely somewhere off-campus, "with Willow."

Buffy leaned toward Tara conspiratorially. "What do you think? He's smart enough for college now?"

"With honors!" agreed Tara.

Xander ignored that. "Well okay, so maybe they're alone. What's the dire? C'mon Buff, you don't think...I mean, it's been a long time and..."

Buffy grabbed Xander's hand. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

Tara didn't understand why they seemed in such a hurry but she ran after them as they headed for Xander's car way off in the visitor's parking area.

x-x

Willow sat back in her chair, closed her eyes and stretched her arms way above her head. Looking at her watch she decided it was a good time for a short break from the ancient texts and modern formula. Stretching her neck by rolling her head about she spotted Cordelia fussing around the shop. It suddenly occurred to her this was the first time she and Cordelia had ever been alone together since the cheating incident. It also reminded her Cordelia was now actually _living_ with her best friend and she frowned at the thought of that particular pair of roommates.

"So, how are things going with you and Xander?"

"Oh, fine, fine." Cordelia answered absently, not really hearing Willow's too clever, inquisitive tone.

"Yeah, with all his messy habits and stuff, it must be really annoying I would think?"

"No, not at all," Cordelia said, now giving more attention to the topic. "He's actually grown quite nicely." She smiled slightly to herself.

She'd initially answered that way just to disagree with Willow because, well, why the hell not? With a bit more thought she realized it to be the truth. He was still an annoying goofball at times, and the humor was as lame, ill-timed and inappropriate as ever, but the last couple of years had smoothed off the worst of it. He was actually quite pleasant and fun to be around, even in public, and she generally enjoyed his company when their schedules allowed them to be together in their apartment.

The aftermath of Xander's apology almost put a permanent crimp on that. Despite-or because of-his apology and her acceptance there had begun several days of a strained and overly polite awkwardness between them. It was obvious to her he was walking on egg shells whenever they were together, and in sensing that it thus made her likewise tense and uncertain how to act. A vicious cycle built up until they conversed in only the most polite yet minimal words possible for two people living in such close proximity.

A simple, trivial incident a few nights ago changed everything.

It had been the end of a long day on the site and she was nowhere around when Xander returned to the apartment. After grabbing a slice of cold pizza from the fridge he hauled himself over to the sofa and plopped down.

He picked up the remote and began channel-surfing, hoping to maybe find a basketball or football game he could work up a tepid interest in until he finally fell asleep. After flipping past a few annoying infomercials on music collections of the '40s or melting off 40 pounds in 40 days he landed on a presentation of Casablanca just as it was beginning.

Not a huge fan of the black-and-whites, he was about to hit the channel button again but stopped and considered before finally setting aside the remote. For all his eclectic tastes in movies, and despite having seen so many classics, he'd never seen this one.

As a matter of sheer coincidence, at the same moment Ingrid Bergman was making her on-screen appearance Cordelia also made her appearance from her room. She'd only intended to get something to drink when she saw the scene playing on the set and Xander watching avidly from the sofa. Her curiosity was piqued both because she hadn't seen the film either and that Xander seemed so engrossed in something without spaceships or death rays or Tokyo getting trampled by yet another rubber-suited monster.

Instead of heading back to her room she dropped down beside him.

"Hey," he greeted her carefully. "Change it if you want, I'm not really watching." Although he clearly was.

Cordelia waved him off. "No. No, this is good." She tucked her legs up under her as she settled in, her shoulder brushing against Xander's when she wiggled a little to get more comfortable. Except for one break when he got up to nuke some popcorn and she some peanut butter, she remained next to him, her weight gradually settling more and more against his side as the story in the hot desert city unwound.

They were very close to each other, comfortable, all tension magically melted away for the entire movie. They chatted about the characters and which ones they liked or didn't, repeating some of the lines to each other during the commercial breaks. He usually took Bogart's lines, she Ingrid's, cracking each other up with awful overdone renditions.

The easy give and take was much like old times when they were at their best together. The relaxed atmosphere continued even through the ending as Bogey sent Ingrid away and walked off into the fog with Claude Rains. They sat silently as the credits scrolled by, virtually tucked together with their stocking feet on the coffee table.

"Wow, that was... "

"Great!" she finished for him.

"Yeah! That too."

Contrary to what they both expected, the ease and comfort persisted through the following days.

Cordelia's lips turned up slightly in a wistful smile as she recalled the recent event, reliving the entire evening in just a few seconds.

"-erything has finally turned around for him. A good job, away from his parents. Not so many curves to throw him off," Willow's voice broke into Cordelia's reverie. She mentally shook off the memory.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, beginning to see the direction of Willow's questions.

Willow didn't meet Cordelia's glare. "I'm just sayin' I wouldn't want anything to knock his train off the track." She started fiddling with some of the apparatus on the table.

"Such as?"

"Well, y'know, relationships? They can be complicated. Husband and wives, lovers-"

Cordelia lifted one eye-brow. Willow, having seen similar expressions, knew the meaning. It used to bother her but now she was just used to it. "Yes, even gay-type lovers," she answered curtly in a bored tone. "But friendships too; acquaintances. Roommates even..." Willow let the hook dangle for Cordelia to pick up.

"Roommates? Me and Xander?" Cordelia saw the point Willow wanted to lead up to but she had no intention of making it any easier for the redhead.

Willow waited expectantly. When Cordelia gave her nothing further, she continued. "Yes. Of all the roommates he could possibly have, he's got you. It's, um, just...an interesting dynamic."

"Interesting how?"

Willow huffed and her tone became more assertive. "I don't want to see him hurt."

"Hurt?"

"Yes."

"You think I'm going to hurt him?"

"Yes. Maybe not deliberately...but the odds are, yeah."

Cordelia laughed without humor. "Have we forgotten who cheated on who, Willow? Who got stabbed through the gut because of infidelity? Willow? Seems to me it was you two doing all the train-wrecking."

Willow stood her ground. "W-well, that's a good point, isn't it? You're not over it. You have a reason to get back at him. But that was a long time ago and things are all changed around. He's grown up a lot. And obviously I've changed. But have you? If you wanted to you could hurt him back a lot worse now. It would be your perfect moment of revenge. It's Lucy yanking the ball away just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it."

Willow paused.

"And I'm sorry about the 'fluking'. I really am. It was, it was..." Willow waved her arm as if trying to conjure up just the right words, but couldn't and gave up in frustration. "Well, I don't know what it was, but it was! And it's over and done and history and we're all adults now. And I'm still Xander's friend. And I will not let you hurt him." She crossed her arms and returned Cordelia's glare with her own.

Cordelia looked away, some of Willow's comments hitting home. She thought back over the events of her time with Xander from beginning to end. Shortly afterward she told herself it had been a huge mistake to begin with, a sickening horrible, never-ending insanity she had no control over. She'd even blamed Buffy at one point.

But she was younger then; the things that seemed so important and necessary to her then hardly registered anymore, not compared to what mattered now.

True, she could honestly tell herself and any who cared to listen she had been the loyal one in their relationship. Upon reflection Cordelia also knew she had made some mistakes as well. Her sharp tongue still got the better of her, even when speaking to Xander. She now knew what she would have proudly called the "honest truth" of her harsh comments to people was often spoken with no more than careless malicious intent, that sometimes tactlessness served no better purpose than to cut.

For a very long time she was always doing her best to hide what they had, what she had felt about him, from her friends and his, and then from herself and him. Not only had she hidden her affections and changing feelings from him but she belittled them as no more than a temporary phase to get out of her system. Too late she now realized this was a form of dishonesty she would have called out on anyone else.

Cordelia glanced at Willow. She didn't know if telling him of her feelings would have made any difference in what transpired between him and Willow, but she would never know and regretted not having said anything to him.

"Despite everything I've suffered because of you two, I really have no interest in anything so small-minded as that. It was just a stupid childish high-school romance." Cordelia stopped and scolded herself, wondering if she'd just given away more than she intended. Willow's expression didn't change and Cordelia concluded Willow probably had had some idea of the depth of Cordelia's feelings back then. Or maybe she had no clue whatsoever. Cordelia bulled ahead. "And you're right, a lot has changed."

However, Cordelia was not about to go into any of the history of the last year and a half and its dose of harsh reality (even if Willow might already know). She'd learned to at least separate the physical pain from the emotional and she didn't blame Xander for the accidental fall through the stairs. She actually could think of it in those terms now.

As for the emotional wounds, it was high-school stuff and now that Xander, unknown to Willow, had finally offered a sincere apology she could separate the two. She could honestly say to herself she didn't harbor any hatred toward Xander any more. She continued more softly, and with a gentle smile. "We have an understanding now. And I'm not the one who's going to hurt Xander. " Cordelia gave Willow an accusatory look. "On the other hand..."

"Me?" squeaked Willow, getting the implication. "How? I'm his best friend!"

Cordelia scoffed. "Don't play dumb, Willow. You hurt him the way you coddle and mother him, like you're doing right now. And I've seen you use your magic to try and protect him. He's a grown man, capable of defending himself. Or haven't you noticed? And then there's the times when you and Buffy totally blow him off, so into your college life, like he's the townie you're too embarrassed to even slum with."

Willow, her own temper rising, stood up, knocking over the chair. "Cordelia-"

There was a time and place when Cordelia knew, with barely a raised chin and a look just so, she could have made Willow swallow her tongue and scurry away like a mouse. Either she really had grown up and was just not interested any more in putting people down in their place when she was annoyed, or Willow too had grown in self-assured confidence and Cordelia knew it wouldn't work. Probably both were true. Either way, Cordelia restrained herself from carelessly lashing out at Willow. Right now Cordelia just wanted out of this irritating conversation. The jingle of the door was a very welcome and well-timed excuse to break away.

Cordelia practically leaped up to greet her new customer, leaving Willow behind, her sentence left unfinished. To Willow, slightly exasperated, it was so typical of Cordelia to brush her off so easily and she nearly turned to follow and make a fuss. Instead she decided Cordelia was just not worth the effort and began to sit again and get back to the intricacies of her work.

"Welcome to the Magic Box! Is there anything I can do for-Oh, crap."

Willow's back had been to the door when Cordelia greeted the customer. Normally she wouldn't have given a second thought to one of Cordelia's rather abrasive greetings, but this seemed beyond the pale even for Cordelia. A tingle of icy dread clawed through her as she turned to see who Cordelia had so crudely addressed. "What is i-Oh, crap." Willow's mouth went dry.

"Oh, my dearies, are we in a bit of a tizzy? Should I come back another time? Or eat you both now?"

Cordelia was backing away slowly and couldn't speak. Willow swallowed and then giggled. "Oh, ah, hey Dru, long time, no see?" She felt like an idiot. Cordelia's sideways scowl confirmed that, yes indeed, she was an idiot.

Drusilla flowed gracefully into the main area of the shop, past Cordelia whose feet were suddenly glued to the floor.

She gave Willow a sly, knowing wink and lecherous smile. "I see you always, precious, so dark and powerful. Mysterious. And such a nice, naughty little girl you are."

The last time Willow had seen this vampire was nearly two and a half years ago when Drusilla had killed the slayer Kendra. Willow flushed in embarrassment. She didn't know why, because everyone knew she was lesbian, and she didn't care who knew, but somehow the way the vampire picked up on it and behaved really unnerved her.

Drusilla swept on past Willow and peered about the shelves, running her fingers lightly over an item or two before moving on to the next. With the vampire further away Cordelia was able to move again and joined Willow as they cautiously watched Drusilla roam deeper into the store.

They knew better than to run since both had witnessed vampire's speed first-hand. She might be one of the most whacked vampires ever but she was astonishingly quick, even by un-dead standards. They gave each other a "what do we do now?" look, both shrugging their answer in unison.

"There's never a slayer around when you need one," groused Cordelia. "Now's the time to try that spell!" she whispered out the side of her mouth to Willow.

Willow quietly but equally fiercely replied through her teeth. "We don't even know if works. We could destroy everything!"

"Does it look like it matters right now?"

"What's that you two darlings are whispering to each other?" Drusilla called from across the floor.

"Oh, ah, nothing important! Nothing at all!" Cordelia answered nervously.

"We were just kinda wondering why you're back here in little old, boring Sunnydale. You know, with the not so much going on, and Slayers always roaming about who knows where, and not as fun for a vampire as, oh say, Los Angeles? Where things are exciting and fun and..." babbled Willow.

Cordelia's eyes were getting wider and wider and she kept making shushing motions, but to no avail. Willow in nervous babble mode could be an unstoppable force.

"Yes, the City of Angel. I think my kitten's queen knows. Don't you?" asked Drusilla.

Willow glanced toward Cordelia. "What?" Cordelia's response was another shrug, with a gesture of twirling her finger near her ear.

With a blur and almost silent whoosh Drusilla was beside them again. "Crazy, yes. But not spinning in the head, no!" She swayed and did a light swirling dance step with an unseen partner. "Daddy wasn't very nice. And Grandmummy was all cranky-pants," she added glumly.

"Huh?"

"Angel," said Cordelia, "And Darla, I think."

"Oh."

"But the hill and the 'Dale has sparkly green fire all alive, yes, yes, yes, she's so very alive, so very young and so very old! And dust-mop repair shops, all along the boulevard like, like..." Drusilla's soliloquy stopped as she tried to think of things all lined up in a row.

Ah, so obvious! "Like dead chubby li'l children." Drusilla was looking off into the distance, waving her arms about as she continued dancing with the dust mop in need of repair.

Cordelia and Willow shared a terrified look. Drusilla waxing crazy and prophetic was always a bad sign of things to come. Could she have known what she was talking about with her reference to living green fire?

Unknown to any of the trio inside the Magic Box, Scab was sitting hunched just outside the window, his turn to keep an eye on the Slayer and her retinue. Mostly he'd been trying to keep from falling asleep from exceeding boredom. Drusilla's words carried clearly through to him and boredom was no longer a problem. Was that a reference to the Key? He debated going right to Glory or moving closer to hear if anything else was said about the Key. He decided to move closer for a few minutes before going back to report to his Goddess.

Drusilla's toe caught the edge of the rug and made her stumble. She snapped back to the here and now, eyes clear and lucid. "I'm looking for my Spike. Do you darlings happen to know where he is?"

"Spike?" Willow asked, shrugging theatrically and looked expectantly at Cordelia. "Spike?"

Cordelia made a big show of intently peering around the store. "Spikes? I'm sorry, I think we're out of spikes at the moment, but if you could wait a moment I can special-order some from our supplier."

Cordelia started stepping back toward the safety of the counter, intending to put distance and anything else she could between her and the vampire. Things would go from incredibly bad to incredibly worse if Drusilla's second sight revealed who had dusted Spike. Cordelia hadn't had much to do with Drusilla over the years, just a few encounters, mostly hearing about her from Xander after the Valentine's Day fiasco when she first dumped him, and a few more stories from Angel. She hadn't liked what she heard then and she didn't like what she was seeing now.

Run-of-the-mill vampires could be bad enough but at least were reasonably predictable. A crazy one like Drusilla, there was just no telling when and what she might do.

"Stop!" roared Drusilla.

"Absolutely." Cordelia froze right in her tracks. Leave it to slayers to provoke crazy vamps. And speaking of which, where the heck was a slayer when you really needed one? Cordelia crossed her arms and puffed out a breath and fumed.

Drusilla focused back on Willow, who hemmed and hawed and shrugged again, flashing a little uncertain smile and then looking away from the vampire.

Drusilla growled low in her throat, causing a new stream of babble.

"Oh, that Spike! Right. Yes, yes. Well, uh, he's be-I mean I-I-I haven't seen him around lately. Cordy?"

"What? Oh yeah. Spike. We were just talking about him. He hasn't been showing up much at all the last few weeks. Perhaps Buffy might know?"

Drusilla looked at the pair queerly, then closed her eyes. Her prey didn't move an inch, barely even breathing. She slowly cocked her head this way and that, questing for guidance in the ether. She lifted her chin and her eyes snapped open, zeroing in on Willow.

"I feel power in you. Salt and pepper, sugar and spice." Drusilla smiled lewdly and strolled over to Willow, circling her, running her fingertips across the redhead's shoulders. "So different than the last time. Maybe we could play until my Spike gets here."

Willow did her best to suppress a shudder when Drusilla cackled. "A good time will be had by all! I know things. Many things your friend doesn't." Somehow Willow know Drusilla was not referring to Cordelia.

Right at that moment Xander burst through the door, already talking before seeing anything. "Hey guys, what's going on? Is everyone still alive?" he called out jokingly.

Seeing who was between Willow and Cordelia made his leg lock up mid-step as he started down the stairs, causing him to stumble and scramble wildly to keep from falling flat on his face. He ended up on his hands and knees just a few feet from a tittering Drusilla.

"Oh, my poor kitten, his feet are too large and he needs his mummy's help, doesn't he?. Come, my sweet." Drusilla casually hoisted Xander off the floor and plopped him on his feet next to her, holding him tightly by the waist. "Look at these two strumpets. I don't like them. Miss Edith doesn't like them either. That one, she's dangerous. And that one was Daddy's friend. They are bad together. The stars say Kitten must choose."

"What? Choose what?"

"Who to share our bed. Let the sky have the other."

"What?"

"My sweet kitten, my delicious kitten, which shall be dinner tonight?" asked Drusilla, swaying slightly.

"What?"

Drusilla let go of Xander and quickly went behind the girls, placing one cold hand on the back of the neck of each, giving each a squeeze in turn. Willow yipped and suppressed a shudder, Cordelia closed her eyes and endured.

"Shall it be the Black Witch or the Queen of Diamonds?

"Hey!" each girl protested.

"What?"

Xander was finally able to break loose from his panic-induced mono-verbalism. "No! No way. We're not doing this! I won't let you hurt either of them," Xander declared in a voice that rang out far more courageously than he felt.

Drusilla seemed genuinely surprised. "Why surely you must prefer one to the other? One to sup upon, the other to... " Drusilla sensuously slid her hand along Cordelia's body from the side-swell of her breast down to her thigh, with a final pat on the rear, humming serenely, then did the same to Willow. Both girls shivered, their faces twisting in revulsion. "...play with?

"Or dessert. Your choice m'dear, whichever. Mummy knows you'll choose well."

Cordelia sighed, resigned to her fate. No matter how well she and Xander had been doing since her return, they were just a "work in progress". Xander and Willow were the dorky duo, like super and glue to each other. When push came to shove with regard to Willow, Xander would never pick against his lifelong friend.

Xander's eyes darted from one girl to the other, his mouth opening and closing in indecision. Then he stopped and straightened himself. "No, you crazy mosquito! You can't make me chose between my best friend and-"

Here it comes, thought Cordelia, as Xander looked from Willow to her, seeing his determined expression change to uncertainty. It was inevitable. Really, how could Xander not choose Willow?

In these last few moments of her life Cordelia realized she fully accepted Xander's apology. Despite the inflicted hurts, she now understood, at least in some small way, whatever had happened between herself, Willow and Xander was a human thing.

After her experiences with Doyle, Wes, Angel, and even Gunn, she knew men weren't mind-readers and it was perhaps unfair to expect an 18-year old male be able to understand the cues any girl could instinctively recognize. With men you sometimes had to accept they needed a good thwacking over the head with a clue-by-four. Cordelia was also better able to tell the true bastards, the ones who really never gave a shit about her, from those who did care but were sometimes fallible.

By the calendar it was only a few short years ago, but in some ways it felt like a whole different life to her, like two completely separate Cordelia's, one so youthful and inexperienced, headstrong and proud, the other mature and understanding. The things that once seemed so important to the younger Cordelia-and she clearly remembered her priorities then-now seemed mere trivialities compared to what mattered now.

It would always hurt, what he had done. She would never forget it, probably never fully understand it. But she understood that perhaps, just possibly, it was the kind of mistake anyone, everyone actually a human being, including herself, was capable of. And human mistakes could be forgiven.

She nodded her head to Xander to let him know she understood.

"-and my other best friend! You leave my girls alone!"

Xander started forward but stopped when Drusilla growled.

"Yeah! You go, Xander!" cheered Willow.

Cordelia nearly fell from the sudden relief, knowing Xander wasn't going to let her be so easily sacrificed, that he would fight for her.

"You won't choose? Pity, I'll have to chose for you." Drusilla stepped behind the two girls and drew them close. She took a fistful of either red hair or brunette, yanking hard. Both girls unsuccessfully tried to stifle gasps of pain. Drusilla pulled the handfuls of hair in front of her nose and inhaled deeply, so deeply, one at a time from each.

"I think I chose this one. Blood and bone, flesh for flesh, an eye for an eye." She opened wide, face morphing, lips pulling back from sharp fangs to bite down on the exposed bare neck.

"NO!"

In the brief moments when Drusilla was not paying full attention to Xander he had been edging closer. He dived at Cordelia when he saw Drusilla behind her start to lean forward, knocking Cordelia out of Drusilla's grasp.

Drusilla, her face quickly returning to human-like form, looked childishly surprised, like a little girl who had just been bumped and dropped her lolly-pop in the dirt. Disappointment marred her delicate features as if she were were about to cry. Then she noticed the perpetrator and quickly became consumed by rage, forgetting and letting go of Willow. Instead of going after Cordelia on the floor several yards away, still gasping painfully from the body blow Xander had delivered, Drusilla reached for Xander sprawled at her feet.

"Naughty kittens have to be punished."

Willow slid sideways to the table where she had been working, scooped up a handful of rust and dumped it into the crucible of potion she had been working on before Drusilla's appearance. Quickly, Willow dipped her hands into the muck and pulled them out together with only her finger tips touching, leaving a spherical volume between her coated palms, and muttered, "Solaria!"

When she spread her palms open a brilliant burst of sunlight filled the room, blinding everyone who was looking anywhere near, casting sharp shadows against the walls.

Drusilla screamed in agony. She let go of Xander and threw up her arms in front of her face, feeling a dry burning sear through her skin, smelling the sulfurous odor of smoke curling up from herself.

The brilliance was gone as suddenly as it came. The humans had not felt any heat but the room now seemed black as night, with blue after-images whenever they blinked. Drusilla had stumbled back from the blast of sunlight and was also blinded in addition to the slight charring on any exposed patch of skin, but she was otherwise unhurt.

Drusilla looked around, blinking rapidly, and saw only the blurry shape of a cringing Willow standing not far from her. She completely missed Xander rising from the floor.

Xander, recognizing an opportunity, hauled off and hit Drusilla as hard as he could, flush on her temple. He cried in pain as it felt like he'd busted some fingers.

Drusilla was stunned for a moment as she staggered a few steps but there was no other obvious damage. Xander got ready to strike with his other hand but Drusilla recovered quickly and leaned out of the way.

"Bad kitty!" she scolded, before giving him a casual swipe that sent him flying.

With bad kitty out of the way she spotted Cordelia and started toward her. She's done with the playing and now just wanted to feed.

Xander once more gathered himself off the floor-something he's become quite good at after all his fights with vampires-and charged again. He knew enough not to fight Drusilla directly and tried to tackle her at the knees, hoping to knock her off balance.

It was like running into a tree-trunk and he bounced off, pain lancing from his shoulder down to his groin.

However Xander's tactic was effective enough to knock Drusilla several steps away from Cordelia. The vampire stood and looked confused by the total lack of co-operation from her pet, her dinner, and her play-thing.

Drusilla wanted to pout and maybe even cry a little when the little bell chime on the shop's front door dinged loudly. Buffy burst through, followed by a frightened Tara behind.

"This is not a good day," whined Drusilla as she prepared to fight off the Slayer. She first slashed at Buffy, who ducked out of the way of razor-sharp nails, countering with a kick to Drusilla's midriff.

As the fight continued around the shop, Xander crawled over to Cordelia to make sure she was shielded from flying debris. Once he verified Cordelia was only winded but otherwise unhurt he got himself ready to rejoin the fray, if only to distract Drusilla.

Buffy fumbled to find a stake and Drusilla took the opportunity to break off and escape through the same door Buffy entered. She might be a crazy vampire but was never stupid. She'd learned when running from the Slayer was the better part of self-preservation.

Wincing from one of Drusilla's kicks Buffy leaned against the nearby wall and looked around, instinctively making sure there was no more danger. Sensing none, Buffy relaxed and walked over to her friends where an injured Xander was already helping Willow and Cordelia back to their feet. "You guys okay?"

Willow threw her arms around Xander's neck, "You idiot, we had it all under control!" she said, giving a wink to Cordelia. Cordelia returned an almost imperceptible nod and conspiratorial smile of her own. No sense making a big deal of it.

Cordelia came up to Xander and gave him a light smack on the shoulder, being careful to target the uninjured one. "What took you so long?"

Despite his pain Xander answered Cordelia enthusiastically. "Well it's been quite a day, let me tell you! We're coming through town on our way here to keep you guys from-" Xander paused to rethink the reason they had been rushing back from campus, and coughed. "That is, come see you guys, when you just wouldn't believe what we ran into."

Fortunately Olaf had merely sneered at them when Xander ran into the troll's rather large rear after he unexpectedly stepped off the curb. When they all got out to see if he was injured Olaf laughed heartily and continued on his merry rampaging way. Xander left Buffy and Tara to deal while he checked to see if the car was badly damaged. Not wanting to take chances he had pulled into a parking spot and went on foot the rest of the way.

"And then Buffy took off after him. And I came here."

"Yeah, she saved a dumpster from oblivion," chirped Tara, bouncing happily on her toes.

"And baby food!" Everyone turned and stared at Buffy. "I mean babies _as_ food! He wanted to eat babies."

"Ewww, yuch much?"

"I think things are settled down for now. Are you guys okay now?" Buffy asked of Xander and Cordelia, Willow and Tara. When she got nods from all around she started for the door. "There's this big hammer thing Olaf left behind," she explained, "Wicked heavy and I should get it before any bad guy starts getting notions. Besides, Giles would love it, it's got all kinds of weird writing on it."

Everyone waved their assent for to go do her slayer due diligence. She stopped halfway out the door and leaned back in. "Are you sure you guys are going to be okay?"

"Yeah, go on Buffy, we're good here," Xander spoke for the four of them.

"We'll be fine. We can stop by tomorrow and take a look at the writing, maybe get a head start on Giles," Willow added.

"If anything attacks I'll just throw him in front. He's useful that way. Sometimes."

Buffy looked a little dubious and was about to make an argument but relented and hurried off.

The four of them shuffled around a little in the wake of Buffy's drop-in arrival, quick inconclusive fight, and quicker departure.

"I should get Willow home," said Tara. She looked around at the wrecked shop. "We'll come by early to help clean up."

Cordelia nodded her thanks.

"Cordelia, about what we were discussing-"

Cordelia held up her hand. "No worries, Willow. We're good."

"We are?" Willow seemed genuinely surprised, both by the words and the sincerity with which Cordelia said them.

Cordelia smiled. "Yeah."

"Okay. See you guys tomorrow." She and Tara left, both talking over each other about their evening's adventures and the success of the Solaria spell.

As their babbling faded down the street it became very quiet again and Xander slumped down onto one of the few undamaged stools. Cordelia stood uncertainly, gazing forlornly at the mess of the Magic Box.

Extreme disaster area would have been a more accurate term, a place worthy of federal cleanup funds. Tired to the bone, she pushed some of the mess around with her toe before giving up even that much effort. The debris and clutter weren't going anywhere and she was too tired to even work up the proper righteous indignation that someone, no matter how evil, would dare mess up her store.

"I guess I'd better get you home, too, before you do something even more stupid to get yourself killed."

Xander's pain was beginning to wear and he could barely keep himself from sagging off the stool that propped him up. He grunted his agreement.

The walk back began in silence. She immediately pulled his arm over and around her shoulders when she noticed him beginning to weave slightly. He looked down at her in surprise but she was concentrating on guiding them down the middle of the sidewalk.

"So," she said after a time, glancing sideways and up at Xander's profile, "best friend?"

"Ah." Xander gulped. "You heard that part, huh?" He waited and became apprehensive at the lack of her response. It had come almost without thought and now that he had some time to think about it, to sound out the words, he desperately wanted it to be so. He wanted Cordelia to want it too.

"Loud and clear. Seems like a bit of progress."

"Yeah. Uh, well y'know Cordy, the thing is-"

"That works for me," Cordelia gave him a playful hip bump then cleared her throat, and in her best attempted Bogey imitation began, "Louis, I think this is the beginning-"

The sound of their laughter and giggles echoed off the buildings of the nearly deserted downtown. His pain suddenly felt far away and there was a new energy in his step.

x-x

Unknown to the Scoobies, Drusilla had run into and was almost immediately entangled by a flexible wire net when she escaped the Magic Box in such a hurry. Every thrashing motion just got her more and more caught up in the mesh. Eventually a dozen ugly little scuttling (but stronger than they looked) gnomes approached, poking at her to test if she could get out.

As they carefully untwisted the net from her limbs they also quickly and expertly pinned her arms behind her back. She was securely bound before being picked up and carried off. She snarled and tried to bite at one of the little scabby demons surrounding her. taking away her freedom to roam and hunt as she pleased. They batted her hard with a club, making her dizzy and unable to follow the course of events as she was carried away.

"I don't like today," she moaned. Except for a few brief moments with Spike, unlife had not been good for her since her illness, nor had they improved when Spike brought her to these American shores. Europe was where she needed to be, prowling among a civilized population where a little demonic death and mayhem was a natural part of the culture.

Eventually she was dragged into the foyer of a large and brightly lit penthouse apartment and dropped like a bag of potatoes onto the marble floor. Drusilla struggled to her feet and once again tried to bite a captor. The demon jumped back out of reach but seemed otherwise unafraid. At that moment Glory stepped out from behind the vampire, flicked her wrist and easily swatted the vampire down. "Behave yourself or I'll squash you like a bug, you annoying little tick."

When Drusilla's vision cleared again and she was able to see Glory, she dropped to her knees. "Oooh, Red emeralds, ice and lilac! I see you're locked out, locked away, far far from home and time. I know what that's like." Drusilla drifted off into a high-pitched hum.

Glory smiled indulgently. The crazy vampire might just be the key, or rather the key to _the_ Key, if Scab's information was to be believed.

Glory laughed at her own little joke, not noticing the minions scuttling back nervously. Glory knew she would have to keep Dru on a short leash to properly use her, and carelessly smacked Dru against the brick wall, stunning her into unconsciousness.

"We'll find a way to use you," Glory informed the supine Drusilla.

* * *

_To be continued (unless I die)_


End file.
